Enhancing Research and Education to Meet a Critical Global Need
Moisture deficits are one of the greatest challenges to future crop production. Severe drought in many parts of the world in recent years drastically reduced crop yields and disrupted regional economies. Even in average years, however, many agricultural regions, including the U.S. Great Plains, suffer from chronic moisture deficits. Cereal crops typically attain only about 25% of their potential yield due to the effects of environmental stress, with moisture stress the most important cause. Two major trends
(1) Global climate change. Higher temperatures will increase crop water use due to increased transpiration. A warmer atmosphere will also speed up melting of mountain snowpack, resulting in less water available for irrigation. More extreme weather patterns are expected to increase the frequency and severity of drought in some regions.