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oping corn varieties with larger roots to absorb more water and smaller tassels that save more of the plant's energy for making kernels. The new strains also have leaves that use less water for transpiration, the process that releases excess moisture after photosynthesis.
• Wood is studying resurrection plants -- mosses and ferns that dry up and look dead after being deprived of water for weeks but spring back to life when watered. The goal is to isolate genes that allow those plants to recover quickly from drought and transfer those traits to crops such as corn.
• "We don't want to turn corn into a cactus," Wood said. His perfect plant would tolerate mild drought and, when it finally rains, quickly resume "normal biology and output."
• Developed by St. Louis-based Monsanto and German-based BASF, Drought

guard is a combination of the best drought-tolerant seed.
• Scott is among about 250 corn growers who are testing the variety on 10,000 acres from South Dakota to Texas. His final judgment will come at harvest time, but he's encouraged by what he sees in the field.
• "Pollination looks excellent, ear-fill is good," he said. "I'm excited to see what the yield looks like."
• It's not clear yet how far this kind of engineering can be pushed and whether seeds can be developed to endure the most severe droughts.
• "When you get so severe, basically nothing does well," said David Lobell, an environmental earth systems science professor at Stanford University.
• While corn is the most studied and engineered grain it isn't the only crop getting attention.
• New Mexico State University scientists are working on more drought-tolerant varieties of alfalfa to improve the nation's hay crop, which is critical for feeding dairy and beef cattle. Shortages have contributed to the widespread livestock sell-off.
• At South Dakota State University, plant science professor Bill Berzonsky, announced last week the development of a new hard winter wheat variety he expects will outperform older seeds. It's not promoted as a drought-resistant product, but the wheat known as Ideal is designed to be planted in drier areas of the Dakotas, with better yield and more disease resistance.
• Weather forecasters are working on their own climate-adaptation strategies, with the goal of helping farmers choose which crops to plant and when.
• Eventually, meteorologists might be able to offer more precise seasonal forecasts that predict the number of days of continuous rain or days suitable for fieldwork.

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