Key Takeaways:

Drought remains a major threat to global agricultural production, particularly in regions with limited rainfall and growing water scarcity. Commercially available drought-tolerant traits in corn, soybeans, and wheat have generally delivered modest yield improvements, limiting their impact on drought risk. Sorghum, millet, barley, and cassava possess natural drought-resistant characteristics that make them valuable alternatives in water-stressed regions. Expanding the use of naturally drought-adapted crops may prove more effective than relying solely on biotechnology to manage future drought risk.

Drought and Its Impact on Agriculture A drought is a prolonged period of below-average precipitation that results in a shortage o...