Drought Resistant Plants

Guests: Mikel Stevens, professor of genetics and biotechnology in BYU's Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Mike Alder, director of BYU's Technology Transfer segment More than half of the United States is currently experiencing abnormally dry conditions and 30 percent of the country is in full-fledge drought according to the federal drought monitor. The worst of it is focused across the west, where drought conditions have persisted for years and climate models predict more heat and less rain in coming decades. The traditional water-intensive methods of landscaping yards, highway medians and public spaces in the West will have to change and BYU professor Mikel Stevens is working to help that along. "The reality is, with a little effort, we can actually find opportunities to find things that will bloom longer and get greener a little later in the season and still be drought tolerant. I don’t think we have to completely give up the bright green Kentucky Blue Grass," says Stevens.