How We Survive The Dry Line
Nov 5, 2025
Gorong Zhang, a wheat breeder at Kansas State University, is on a mission to create drought-resistant wheat to combat climate change. He shares insights on the lengthy process of breeding resilient crop varieties. Paul Penner, a seasoned Kansas farmer, discusses adapting practices like no-till farming amid economic pressures and shifting rainfall patterns. Both highlight the urgent need for strategies to ensure global food security as the dry line shifts east, affecting crop yields and increasing challenges for farmers.
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Dry Line Is Marching East
- The 100th Meridian historically split humid East from arid West, but the dry line is shifting east as climate warms.
- Richard Seeger found the dry line moved ~140 miles east since 1980 and models show continued eastward movement.
Triticale Saved A Western Kansas Farm
- Vance and Louise Emke grew triticale after testing it on a small plot and later scaled it to thousands of acres.
- That pivot and focus on moisture-saving practices kept their farm profitable through repeated droughts.
Conserve Moisture With No-Till Farming
- Use reduced-till or no-till farming to preserve soil moisture and reduce evaporation.
- Monitor research from Kansas State University to adopt updated practices for semi-arid conditions.