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New study from Purdue University could help identify more drought resistant corn hybrids 

Researchers at Purdue University are trying to help identify corn hybrids that are more tolerant to drought conditions.

Mike Mickelbart, professor of botany and horticulture, says the project is studying more than 300 different hybrids.

“Those traits could be directly incorporated into germplasm that ultimately makes it to the farmers’ fields,” he says. “It gives more specific information on what are the traits that can contribute to yield stability across diverse environments.”

He tells Brownfield researchers are trying to answer several questions. “What are the specific solutes that the plants are accumulating? What are the genes that could be directly manipulated or used in breeding programs? If we know what the genes are, then it allows you to do a little bit more targeted breeding,” he says.

Support for the project is funded by Bayer Crop Science, the National Science Foundation, and Purdue’s Institute for Plant Science.

AUDIO: Mike Mickelbart, Purdue University’s College of Agriculture