Maximizing Water Efficiency in Maize Cultivation.

The improvement of drought tolerance in maize is one of the most important research initiatives for agriculture in this decade.  Increasing worldwide demands for food and agricultural products, brought on by an increasing global population, combined with fixed amounts of arable land, are driving a need for increased productivity. At the same time, there is continued evidence of declines in fresh water resources. Public efforts to restrict agricultural water usage focus on ways to maintain sustainable water levels in major aquifers and reservoirs.

Drought tolerance is a complex trait and affects crops differently depending on the geography and stress factors of each unique environment. Depending on the timing and severity of drought episodes, yield losses due to drought in maize can be quite severe. Many new technology opportunities have emerged to aid researchers in the improvement of drought tolerance, including marker assisted breeding tools, transgenic solutions and new agronomic practices.  The successful approach to improvement of drought tolerance in maize involves an integrated approach which couples strong base genetics, developed from years of success in conventional breeding, with cutting edge technologies and state of the art agronomic practices. Farmers need multiple product options which are best adapted to their specific environments coupled with advice on the latest agronomic practices to maximize productivity.

The discovery and development of maize hybrids with improved drought tolerance requires expertise from many disciplines, a robust and diverse source of genetic diversity, relevant screens, phenotyping tools and a network of reliable managed drought stress field testing locations. In this talk we provide an industry perspective of current approaches towards improving maize yields under water-limited conditions.