CALIFORNIA'S WATER: A VANISHING RESOURCE

Plant genetics could yield crops that need less water
Protein molecule may hold key, researchers say

By Michael Gardner
U-T Sacramento Bureau
2:00 a.m. May 1, 2009

SACRAMENTO – By focusing on a plant's natural defense mechanisms, University of California researchers believe they have cracked an elusive genetic secret – a discovery that someday could help farmers produce more food with less water.

Their prize is a protein molecule that relays signals to cells that help plants cope with environmental stress, such as drought.

“It has indeed been a holy grail,â€