Early heat and drought stress can have lasting effects on corn growth
A brief period of heat and drought early in a corn plant's life can affect its growth and flowering months after the stress ends, according to new research from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and the University of Minnesota.
A brief period of heat and drought early in a corn plant's life can affect its growth and flowering months after the stress ends, according to new research from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and the University of Minnesota.
The short version
- The findings could help guide efforts to develop crops better equipped to withstand hot, dry growing conditions.
- This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies .
- Published in The Plant Journal , the study tracked 47 genetically diverse corn varieties under normal conditions, drought, heat, and combined heat and drought.
What happened
Researchers found that responses to drought alone did not predict responses to the combined stresses in the traits measured, underscoring the importance of evaluating both stresses together when identifying promising plants for breeding. "A corn plant that performs well under drought may respond very differently when heat is added," said Malia Gehan, Ph.D., Danforth Center principal investigator and director of research for innovation.
Why it matters
"By measuring plants day after day through images, we can see differences that a single measurement would miss.
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