As climate change progresses, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant physiologists are searching for soybean cultivars that can withstand elevated ozone and carbon dioxide levels, researchers are adapting cranberries in Wisconsin to withstand unexpected frosts, and in Maryland scientists are studying crops that will deliver better yields with higher levels of carbon dioxide. Since 2010 in California scientists have been testing over 3,500 varieties of lettuce and spinach to find the world’s most heat-tolerant lettuces. Current varieties of lettuce must be grown at 85 degrees or below however these trials are being conducted in El Centro, California where temperatures can regularly reach 106 degrees. Over the course of the next century North America will experience longer periods of extreme heat making this work important to future food security.
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