Selection of Drought Field Testing Sites: The Value of Available Technologies and Techniques.

The success of a drought tolerance breeding and biotechnology program is dependent on the effectiveness of the testing network used to identify germplasm and transgenes with superior drought tolerance. A successful drought testing network must be representative of the target market and be composed of uniform, reliable testing sites where experimental error is minimized.  Selection of uniform testing sites is particularly important in the evaluation of tolerance to drought stress, since low water supply conditions often amplifies existing soil variability.  In this presentation, we discuss the utility of existing and emerging technologies for use in pre-screening potential field sites for use in drought tolerance testing. Examples of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), satellite imaging, and weather modeling tools which are useful in the selection and characterization of field testing sites will be presented.