Developing Corn for Warmer Climate Is Focus of Research
Thursday, June 30, 2011 - 15:00
in Earth & Climate
The prospect of rising temperatures in Iowa and the Midwest is predicted to lead to a dramatic decline in corn yield. With a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Iowa State University researchers Alan Myers and Tracie Hennen-Bierwagen are looking to develop a corn variety that maintains the region's high yields even as temperatures rise. The study is part of the response within the scientific community to challenges issued by the National Research Council in their report, "New Biology for the 21st Century: Ensuring the United States Lead the Coming Revolution."