Each year, farmers produce more than a billion metric tons of corn. As technology advances, researchers are looking at how that could change with nuclear contamination.
Researchers at Penn State University have studied how a nuclear war scenario would play out at nearly 40,000 locations around the world. Using their agro-ecosystem, they found that if five tons of soot were to drop, it would lower corn production by seven percent. On a larger scale, with 165 tons of soot, that number jumps to an 80 percent drop in corn yields.
Researchers say they hope this scenario never happens, but they warn it is always best to prepare for catastrophic events.
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Reported results include stronger in-season nitrogen response, average yield gains of more than seven bushels per acre and more than $18 per acre in net return.
Acreage shifts could impact pricing and marketing plans.
Strong exports continue to support corn despite larger supplies.
Export growth remains key for grain profitability.
