While the Iowa Derecho of 2020 reminds us of the need to be ready for anything Mother Nature throws at us, it certainly isn?t the first time she has used the wind to damage our crops. High winds are nothing new, and they try even the best corn?s standability. Improving standability has been a consistent desire for corn breeders all over. Different types of genetics have yielded stronger and more sturdy results, but the Derecho even put those plants flat to the ground.
That is why there has been such a large push to develop more short-stature corn that can produce as well as normal stature corn while giving the plant a lower profile. This will make the plant a little more durable in the wind, by giving it less of an area that can be easily tipped. As research and breeding continue, expect to see more of this corn hitting fields in 2022.
Dr. Jacqueline Applegate is the North American President of Bayer Crop Science. She talks to us about the goals in the development of their short-stature traits.
Not only can this corn stand up better to high winds, it also gives producers something they cannot get with conventional high-standing corn, and that is mid to late season accessibility. This allows producers to cut costs of having aerial sprayers or specialized sprayers coming to their fields. They will be able to use the equipment that many of them already own.
Applegate adds that short stature corn gives producers another advantage in sustainability. It provides a greater root mass to give the plant an advantage in surviving drought, and in carbon sequestration.
If you want to learn more about short stature corn hybrids from Bayer, contact your local retailer or visit the Bayer Crop Science website.
