Short-stature corn offers defense against derechos

Short-stature corn has piqued the interest of Midwest farmers who have dealt with derecho winds. Andrew Penney, the team lead in a Bayer initiative called the Preceon Smart Corn System, said short-stature corn has caught the eye of growers who want an option to withstand strong winds. Short-stature corn has shorter internodes below the ear leaf and reaches a target height of about 7 feet. Plants typically range from 6 1/2 to 8 feet. Traditional corn often reaches 10 to 11 feet and can grow as tall as 14 feet. An Iowa native, Penney remembers the derecho—or a strong straight-line wind–that struck the Hawkeye State in 2020 and the widespread damage it caused to cornfields. Reports of derechos are now heard several times a year, including in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. Rainstorms and windstorms can be nerve-wracking for producers, particularly in July and early August, when growers know they could lose a significant portion of their corn crop.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.