Randomized complete block field trials with diverse half-sib families of the nitrogen-fixing Prosopis pallida from Peru, spiny, multistemmed P. juliflora, and diverse South American Prosopis species in contrasting environments of Haiti, Cape Verde, and Rajasthan desert found Peruvian P. pallida had the greatest biomass and survival. Some Peruvian Prosopis were also erect, thornless, and with sweet highly palatable pods, unlike acidic non-palatable P. juliflora pods. Six clones were selected from 1800 trees in a Peruvian field trial with the best trunk diameter, pod production, and pod flavor. P. pallida clones were made that grew in salinities of full seawater. P. pallida pods support a 20 million-dollar industry for the rural poor in Peru. Comprehensive germplasm collections need to be made for an applied genetic improvement program to develop superior clones for human food, soil enrichment, and C sequestration in Peru, Haiti, the African Sahel, the Middle East, and India/Pakistan.