Research finds early heat and drought affect corn growth months later

The University of Minnesota and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center conducted research on corn stress response. Findings published in The Plant Journal indicate that a brief period of heat and drought early in a corn plant’s life can affect its growth and flowering months after the stress ends. The study tracked 47 genetically diverse corn varieties under various conditions, finding that responses to drought alone did not predict responses to combined heat and drought stresses.

The research underscores the need to evaluate combined heat and drought stresses together when identifying promising corn varieties for breeding. The findings could help guide efforts to develop crops better equipped to withstand hot, dry growing conditions in the Midwest.