What are the effects of drought on corn?
Corn is adapted to a wide geographic range within the United States, but yield potential is closely related to the amount of available water. Whether it is the higher-producing central Corn Belt or the drier western plains of the United States, the supply of water is a major factor affecting yield and yield consistency. Corn is particularly sensitive to drought stress during flowering, tasseling, silking, and early grain-filling. Eighty-five percent of U.S. corn suffers from varying degrees of drought stress at some time in the growing season. Sporadic drought stress may reduce the profitability of corn farming even in areas that normally receive adequate rainfall. So for many corn farmers, an improvement in the corn plant’s ability to withstand drought stress would lead to more consistent and profitable yields. The image below highlights the region in the Western Corn Belt that is particularly sensitive to periods of water stress related yield losses.
