Shorter corn might be a tall order for some farmers

Wall Street Journal photo by Patrick Thomas

"Seed companies are investing millions of dollars into developing new and hardier varieties of corn—but they are several feet shorter than normal, growing to about 6 feet instead of the usual 9. . . . Bayer AG, Syngenta Group and Stine Seed Co. are working on rolling out new varieties they say will help farmers grow larger crops," reports Patrick Thomas for The Wall Street Journal.

"Turns out height is a key factor in corn’s success," writes Thomas. "Tall stalks are susceptible to 'lodging'—when strong winds bend the plants at the stem near the ground, making it difficult to harvest. The [short] corn could use less water and stand up better against strong prairie winds. But the step down in height is unsettling for some farmers who associate taller corn plants with more grain production."

Tom Langer, a third-generation farmer with about 2,400 acres in south-central Wisconsin, told Thomas that even though he sees some potential benefits of the shorter corn, he and his neighbors don’t plan to plant it until its record has been proven. “They’ll be skeptical,” Langer said.

Harry Stine, whose Stine Seed has had short-stature corn on the market for more than a decade, said, “I couldn’t care less about what a plant looks like, all we go for is yield and standability."

Larry Bortz, a fourth-generation farmer outside Mason City, Iowa, told Thomas, “If they can make something that stands up and resists being blown down, that’s freaking wonderful."

Bayer said its surveys show farmers will eventually get on board, and seed companies said they have fixed problems that earlier short varieties had, including logistical problems with combines.