Limits on Yields in the Corn Belt

Increasing vapor pressure deficit and drought sensitivity will limit future corn yields in the U.S. Midwest. [Also see Report by Lobell et al. ] In total global production, corn (maize, Zea mays L.) is the most important food and feed crop. Of the 967 million metric tons produced in 2013, 36.5% were...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2014-05, Vol.344 (6183), p.484-485
Main Authors: Ort, Donald R., Long, Stephen P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural production
Agronomy
Corn
Crop science
Drought
PERSPECTIVES
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Summary:Increasing vapor pressure deficit and drought sensitivity will limit future corn yields in the U.S. Midwest. [Also see Report by Lobell et al. ] In total global production, corn (maize, Zea mays L.) is the most important food and feed crop. Of the 967 million metric tons produced in 2013, 36.5% were produced in the United States, mostly in the Midwest Corn Belt. The United States is by far the world's largest corn exporter, accounting for 50% of corn exports globally ( 1 , 2 ). Until recently, breeding and management have allowed farmers to increase the number of plants per acre without loss of yield per plant. On page 516 of this issue, Lobell et al. ( 3 ) use a detailed data set for farms across the Corn Belt, to show that increasing yields have been accompanied by rising drought sensitivity, with important implications for future crop yields.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1253884