Computer models soybean crop with 8.5 percent more productivity, using 13 percent less water
Thursday, April 3, 2014 - 20:30
in Mathematics & Economics
Crops that produce more while using less water seem like a dream for a world with a burgeoning population and already strained resources. This dream is closer to reality for researchers who developed a new computer model to help plant scientists breed better soybean crops. The model predicts a soybean crop with 8.5 percent more productivity, but using 13 percent less water, by breeding for slightly different leaf distribution, angles and reflectivity.