Study Finds Corn Increasingly Sensitive To Drought | Forbes

Forbes highlights the results of a recent study by CEGA Affiliate Dave Lobell and coauthors Jillian M. Deines and Stefania Di Tommaso, which suggests that although corn has become more sensitive to drought conditions, new technologies can raise yields desipite changing weather patterns:

“Corn is the number one crop grown by American farmers, accounting for more than 95% of total production and use. The crop, which was a human invention and cannot be found in the wild, is also one of the most dependent on ideal weather conditions to grow. In a world with an ever-warming climate, these two factors do not play well with one another.

Now scientists from Stanford University have found another “oh, goody” moment to insert into the conversation. A new study, published in Nature Food, has found that the staple crop has become significantly more sensitive to drought conditions.

New technologies are able to help raise yields in a variety of weather conditions. That’s the good news.

‘The bad news is that these technologies, which include some specifically designed to withstand drought, are so helpful in good conditions that the cost of bad conditions are rising,’ said study lead author David Lobell, the Gloria and Richard Kushel Director of the Center on Food Security and the Environment at Stanford. ‘So there’s no sign yet that they will help reduce the cost of climate change.’ “

Source: Study Finds Corn Increasingly Sensitive To Drought