Study Finds Rising Ozone a Hidden Threat to Corn

University of Florida molecular genetics and microbiology professor Lauren McIntyre collaborated on a research led by Lisa Ainsworth, a U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist, along with University of Illinois plant biology professor Andrew Leakey and University of California, Davis plant sciences professor Patrick Brown.

The study begins to address the rise of ground-level ozone by exposing a genetically diverse group of corn plants in the field to future ozone levels. The study, reported in the journal Global Change Biology, found that some members of the corn family tree are more susceptible than others to yield losses under high ozone air pollution. Discovering the genetic underpinnings of those differences could help plant scientists develop ozone-resistant corn, the researchers said.

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