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.
Related Stories
Acreage shifts could influence spring marketing decisions.
Corn and sorghum exports continue outperforming soybeans.
Strong exports support ethanol margins and corn demand.
Dr. David Anderson with Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension discusses how geopolitical tensions and the Middle East, along with export disruptions in the Chinese market, will shape cattle markets in the months ahead.
