Drought Is Withering U.S. Crops. Can Superseeds Save the Day?

Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME

All farmers know they'll have to endure the occasional dry period, but what has happened to the American Midwest this summer has been practically biblical. By the end of July, over 60% of the U.S. was experiencing some form of drought--the most in more than half a century. Corn yields fell by at least 16%, and prices rose to record highs as farmers confronted fields of dust. Scariest of all, the drought of 2012, which could eventually cost as much as $18 billion, may be just a taste of what's to come in a hotter, drier future.

Farmers and crop companies...

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