Science - Densely Planted US Corn Crops Far More Vulnerable To Drought Than Previously Thought
Last edited Sun May 4, 2014, 12:19 AM - Edit history (1)
Washington (AFP) - US farmers can grow more corn than ever before thanks to genetic modifications and improved planting techniques, but the crops are also increasingly vulnerable to drought, researchers said Thursday.
The study in the journal Science found that "densely planted corn appears to be unexpectedly more sensitive to water scarcity," raising concerns about future food supply as the planet warms. The United States is the largest exporter of corn in the world, shipping about 40 percent of the world's corn.
In recent years, most commercially produced corn has been modified with new traits that make roots better able to access water and build in pest resistance. That has allowed farmers to plant more corn and set the plants more closely together than they could in the past, resulting in higher yields.
But the plants have also become more susceptible to dry spells over the past two decades, which is a concern because most corn crops in the United States rely on natural rain, not irrigation.
EDIT
http://news.yahoo.com/corn-crops-increasingly-vulnerable-hot-dry-weather-185158662.html
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