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Rising temperatures and frequency of extreme climate events like heat waves in many parts of the world will lead to a drop in major staple crop production. Now, the decoding and sequencing of the pearl millet genome by a global team of 65 scientists from 30 research institutions has revealed critical coping strategies. The analysis of genetic variability among a thousand pearl millet lines has led to a better understanding of the ability of this dryland cereal to survive soaring temperatures (over 42oC) and its exceptional drought tolerance. This discovery published in Nature Biotechnology (doi:10.1038/nbt.3943), on September 18, 2017 may also help develop climate adaptation strategies in other important cereal crops.