Research opportunity a ‘silver lining’ to heat and drought, says plant science prof
It’s probably little comfort to farmers watching their parched fields but the heat and drought this summer is an opportunity to develop future crop varieties that can withstand these conditions.
Karen Tanino, a plant sciences professor at the University of Saskatchewan, says the fields make for a great test site to see which varieties perform well and which ones don’t.
“These environmental conditions are negative … but there is a little bit of a silver lining,” Tanino says.
“If you’re a breeder and you’re trying to select against some stresses, you may find some lines in the field that really outperform the others.”