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Solution to drought: It’s in the genes, says editorial

Posted by: Maven on April 8, 2009 at 8:03 am

From Investor’s Business Daily, this editorial:

According to the director of the California Department of Water Resources, “We may be at the start of the worst California drought in modern history. It’s imperative for Californians to conserve water immediately, at home and in their businesses.”

Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu was even more alarming: “We’re looking at a scenario where there’s no more agriculture in California. I don’t actually see how they can keep their cities going.”

But droughts are just acts of God, about which nothing can be done, right? Wrong.

Scientists might be able to provide a partial solution — if only federal policymakers and local regulations permitted it.

Gene-splicing, sometimes called genetic modification (GM), offers plant breeders the tools to make old crop plants do spectacular new things. In the U.S. and two dozen other countries, farmers are using gene-spliced crop varieties to produce higher yields, with lower inputs and reduced environmental impact.

Read more of this editorial from Investor’s Business Daily by clicking here.

April 8, 2009 · Filed Under Agriculture

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