Article
Article
- Agriculture, Forestry & Soils
- Plant breeding
- Development of drought-tolerant crops through breeding and biotechnology
- Biology & Biomedicine
- Genetics
- Development of drought-tolerant crops through breeding and biotechnology
DISCLAIMER: This article is being kept online for historical purposes. Though accurate at last review, it is no longer being updated. The page may contain broken links or outdated information.
Development of drought-tolerant crops through breeding and biotechnology
Article By:
Deikman, Jill Monsanto Company, St. Louis, California.
Lawson, Mark Monsanto Company, St. Louis, California.
Last reviewed:2013
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB130049
- Breeding for improved drought tolerance
- Improving drought tolerance using biotechnology
- Conclusions
- Related Primary Literature
- Additional Reading
The greatest challenge faced to meet the needs of food production is the availability of freshwater. Water supplies and subsequent water shortages have contributed to the rise and fall of many civilizations (for example, the Mayan, Anasazi, and Angkor Wat societies), and the challenges associated with adequate food production in the face of insufficient water are no less great now compared with these former civilizations. Crop yields have increased significantly because of the development of modern agricultural practices. As examples, from the 1970s to the 2000s, corn (maize) yields increased by approximately 67% in the United States, cotton yields increased by roughly 188% in India, and wheat yields grew approximately 55% in Mexico. Although these dramatic improvements increased the total global food supply, they have also been punctuated by significant yearly swings in production primarily associated with fluctuations in precipitation during the growing season. In some underdeveloped countries, periodic droughts have resulted in catastrophic famines. An ever-increasing global population and a concomitant decrease in prime agrarian land area create pressure on modern agriculture to increase food production, often with suboptimal water availability.
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