A research group that includes the University of Arizona has cracked corn's genetic code, a landmark discovery that will allow scientists to develop new strains of crops that yield more food, provide better nutrition and are resistant to drought.

The findings are being published in a series of papers this week in the prestigious journal Science.

It's an understatement to call this a tough achievement, researchers say.

In the simplest terms, it is like dumping a jigsaw puzzle with tens of thousands of pieces onto the floor and trying to figure out where they fit. To make matters worse, lots of the pieces look the same.

Scientists have wanted to decode, or sequence, the corn genome for decades, but the computer technology has only recently been developed to allow them to fulfill this goal.

"We now have a blueprint for one of the most important crops in the world. This blueprint is really going to help us move forward to ensure that the world will have a safe and stable food supply for future generations," said Rod Wing, director of UA's Arizona Genomics Institute and a co-author of the research.

Wing's lab also was involved in another breakthrough, the sequencing of the rice genome, in 2005. Corn, the most widely grown crop in the United States, has a much more complicated genetic code than rice.

Over the years, researchers have developed different lines of corn suited for different climates and growing seasons. But to truly adapt the plant for dramatically higher yields, they needed to break its genetic code.

Challenge for farmers

Making corn more adaptable is important as the world's population grows, and farmers are faced with the challenge of having to grow more crops on smaller plots.

If the current population projections play out, the world will have to double its food supply in another 30 to 40 years, said Colin Kaltenbach, vice dean of UA's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. That will be possible only through the types of genetic research going on now, he said.

UA has been working on solving the puzzle for more than a decade.

Wing's lab first had to create genetic maps that showed where genes were located along single DNA molecules. The maps served as the guides for the process of sequencing the genes.

In 2005, the federal government poured $32 million into the effort with a group of universities creating the Maize Genome Sequencing Project. UA worked on the project along with scientists from Washington University-St. Louis, Cold Harbor Laboratory and Iowa State University.

Now that the corn genome has been sequenced, plant breeders can use the information to speed the development of new lines of corn.

Wing, who was in Germany when the discovery was announced Thursday, said he is thrilled by the breakthrough.

"I wish I were there with my lab right now, popping a bottle of Champagne to celebrate," he said. "I'll call them in the morning, and we'll have a toast."

Reach the reporter at anne.ryman@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8072.