Corn, but shorter: Why Midwest farmers are experimenting with smaller varieties

The U.S. produces more than a third of the world’s corn, and most of that grain comes from a swath of the central U.S. called the Corn Belt. Scientists and seed companies are working on shrinking corn to increase yield.  Farmers are engaged in testing the new varieties.

Midwestern corn experts say shorter corn has three main advantages, compared to traditional varieties. For one thing, it’s less likely to get knocked over in strong wind storms, like the derechos that have blown through the Midwest in recent years.

Shorter corn is much easier to treat with fertilizer, fungicides and pesticides. That’s important in a summer like this year’s when high humidity causes fungal diseases.

“Higher yield is better for everyone,” said Katie Murphy, a scientist at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. “It's better for farmers. It's better for consumers. It's better for the environment. We can grow more food in less square footage.”

While much can be achieved with breeding, gene editing techniques have become increasingly popular in the past decade. These approaches allow scientists to narrowly focus on traits, without the baggage of other changes that come with breeding, said researcher Katie Murphy.

“We can go in really targeted to try and adjust those genes without having to change many, many, many genes in a plant's genome,” she said.

Read or listen to the full story from St. Louis Public Radio!