Greater Sensitivity to Drought Accompanies Maize Yield Increase in the U.S. Midwest

Predicting Responses to Drought The U.S. Corn Belt accounts for a sizeable portion of the world's maize growth. Various influences have increased yields over the years. Lobell et al. (p. 516 ; see the Perspective by Ort and Long ) now show that sensitivity to drought has been increasing as well. It seems that as plants have been bred for increased yield under ideal conditions, the plants become more sensitive to non-ideal conditions. A key...