Purdue Leads International Effort to Decode Drought-Resistant Corn

By Anna O’Neill Alexander

A dry season can be devastating to harvests, putting both farmers' livelihoods and communities' food security at risk. Identifying the traits that make crops more drought-resistant is critical for developing hardier hybrids.

Researchers at Purdue University's College of Agriculture are using cutting-edge technology and international partnerships to determine what makes certain varieties of corn more resilient than others.

With Michael Mickelbart, professor of botany and horticulture, as principal investigator, the project brings together researchers from the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom.

“Corn is one of the world’s most important crops. We know hybrids differ in yield stability, but we don't know why,” Mickelbart said. “Our goal is to identify traits that make plants more climate-stable.”

The new project builds on previous research by Mickelbart and Mitchell Tuinstra, professor of plant breeding and genetics, extending their work on yield stability to better understand what makes certain types of corn thrive in challenging environments.