Drought is a major constraint on crop productivity and a significant risk for American farmers. The challenges associated with drought are likely to increase due to climate change, which will increase temperatures and alter precipitation patterns. Adapting the nations agricultural system to water-limited conditions is a major priority to ensure food security and sustainable farm economics. Current drought management strategies are primarily limited to soil management practices and crop variety choice. A crop protection product that can be sprayed on or applied to drought-affected fields at the onset of drought to protect or enhance yields would be a valuable tool for growers, allowing them to adapt to drought and climate change in real time. In this project, our objective is to test and validate the use of a new plant growth regulator (PGR) to protect corn from drought and to enhance grain yields under water-limited conditions. The experimental plan of this project will provide data on the response of corn to PGR application, the interplay between PGR application and the onset of drought stress indicators, and the potential for grain yield enhancement under drought conditions in corn. The ultimate goal of this work is generation of a new agricultural product that mitigates crop losses from drought and climate change. Beyond the primary end users, reducing the impact of drought and climate change benefits consumers and taxpayers by improving food security and conserving agricultural resources, such as water.
