Illinois, Iowa Demme (AP) - For several months, farmer David Kellerman hope it rains, and even throughout the most severe drought in the country for nearly 25 years.
He finally abandoned the line when the temperature reaches 1083 days. Corn kernel does not develop, if it becomes too warm in the pollination Kellerman know that his work does not fill in the fields of air core. Just after July 4, he and his neighbors he farms the extraordinary step: they cut down the entire crop and packaging to use as livestock forage wilted plants.
Almost is the third corn crop has been damaged by heat and drought, the worst-hit areas in the Midwest of the number of farmers have cut their crops during the growing season just passed the midway. However, the state still can be seen in one of the biggest gain in the history of the United States, due to new varieties of plants, development and production of more corn per acre better able to withstand drought.
Kellerman said he was surprised that his corn performance and its growth to a decent height, even if there has been less than in mid-April-inch rainfall. Dubois, the state of Illinois farm near the place, the consistency of his dirt and dust, but until very hot "fried" plants, so that he lost hope.
"Genetics is a lot better," he said. Corn five years ago would never have been continued for so long. "
For decades corn production has steadily improved, the introduction in 1923, a commercial mixture of scientific progress and the results. Genetic engineering in recent years to speed up the process and allow development of some strains, to borrow the other species of pest resistance to DNA.
Corn Growers hope that this is a record year, when they grow, planting 964,000 acres, the most since 1937. U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted that they will get 166 bushels per acre.
However, a few months later, with little or no rain and the corn belt, most of the extreme heat, Wednesday the U.S. Department of Agriculture revised estimates, saying it now expects this year's farmers average 146 bushels per acre.
This will still be a decade ago to improve on average about 129 bushels. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is still expected to be produced in the country's third-largest corn crop in U.S. history, even though he announced relief measures for farmers, like Kellerman, has lost everything.
"Vilsack said," It is important to point out that the seed technology to improve efficiency and farm made a little bit of some producers easier to get through a very, very bad weather stretch. "We hope to soon be able to save what can be saved in the central part of the United States to rain."
Extended to the drought in some areas in California, Ohio. Gripped, Texas and other parts of the Southwest last year's historic drought is more severe, but this year's drought is a significant scale, the affected land.
To see this on the continental scale, we see such a large part of the country in the dry things, you have to go back to 1988, Rippey, USDA agricultural meteorologist, said: "Brad.
This year, farmers saw the corn yield, or amount per acre to produce a decrease of nearly one-third.
So far, this year's losses, estimated that half - why, like Bill Gates believe that better crops will feed the world population growth and climate change one of the reasons.
Jeff Schussler, senior research manager for DuPont Pioneer, said the company's research shows that corn hybrids can produce more than 50 percent of corn per inch of water bushels, more than 50 years ago. He said that the root and leaf development and plant breeding and genetic work, scientists created a more stable corn plant can withstand a wider range of climatic conditions.
"All of these in the past few years, hybrid drought tolerance built, so we have a little more hope, they will be able to withstand more heat than they would say, 10 years ago, said:" Gary Niemeyer The growth in Auburn, Illinois corn and soybeans, is the president of the National Corn Growers Association.
He said the factory has developed a larger root mass, so that they reach the water deeper, and maintain more reserves. The leaves of some varieties can be rolled up, slow down moisture loss.
"There are many technologies, our corn crops, said Niemeyer."
However, it is difficult to say that this year there will be about half of the growing season to open.
Today's corn plants to withstand drought than they did in 1988, but not all kinds, can produce a significant yield of six weeks, temperatures above 100 degrees continuous rainfall, said Tony Vyn, professor of agriculture at Purdue University.
"You get the technology does not guarantee production, even when you might have this expectation is so severe water shortage the point," he said. "My experience so far is drought-tolerant hybrids is no silver bullet."



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