Drought-Resistant CropsWill Hit Market in 5 Years, Scientist Says

A Canadian plant scientist says his company has successfully tested genetically modified, drought-resistant corn and oilseed rape that will be grown by farmers within four to five years. The new plant varieties, which have been grown experimentally in the U.S. for several years, increase yields by 40 percent under drought conditions, according to David Dennis, the chief executive of Performance Plants Inc. in Ontario. The company plans to license the drought-resistant varieties to large crop companies such as Syngenta and Pioneer. Dennis said these genetically modified varieties, as well as others being designed to survive extreme temperatures, will be necessary to increase crop yields this century in the face of global warming and rising world populations. But critics say companies have yet to deliver on promises of developing drought-resistant plants and are using the food crisis and climate change as a PR ploy to continue experimenting with genetically modified plants that could cause unforeseen ecological harm.