This chemical can help plants remain green throughout the year

A study has found that a new chemical may help plants to hold onto water and prevent crop loss during drought."Drought is the No. 1 cause, closely tied with flooding, of annual crop failures worldwide," said Sean Cutler, a plant cell biology professor at UC Riverside, who led the research."This chemical is an exciting new tool that could help farmers better manage crop performance when water levels are low."Details of the team's work on the newer, more effective anti-water-loss chemical are described in a paper published in 'Science' magazine.This chemical, Opabactin, is also known as "OP," which is gamer slang for "overpowered," referring to the best character or weapon in a game."The name is also a shoutout to my 10-year-old at home," Cutler said.An earlier version of OP developed by Cutler's team in 2013, called Quinabactin, was the first of its kind.It mimics abscisic acid, or ABA, the natural hormone produced by plants in response to drought stress. ABA slows a plant's growth, so