05 Sep 2019 --- The identification of a gene responsible for drought resistance in barley could help “future-proof” the cereals industry as climate change becomes an increasingly pressing issue. A team of scientists at Heriot-Watt University, Scotland, have published the results of their five-year-long project in the Journal of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry. The Scotch Whisky Association-funded project marks the first time that gene HvMYB1 has been associated with drought resistance.