August 13, 2012

Groundwater depletion is particularly severe in places including California’s Central Valley, the Upper Ganges in India and Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia, researchers report.

SINGAPORE, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Extreme heat can cause wheat crops to age faster and reduce yields, a U.S.-led study shows, underscoring the challenge of feeding a rapidly growing population as the world warms.

Scientists and farmers have long known that high heat can hurt some crops and the Stanford University-led study, released on Monday, revealed how the damage is done by tracking rates of wheat ageing, or senescence.