Short Corn Is Growing Stronger in US Midwest

Fields of tall corn plants are a common thing to see in the Midwest United States in late summer. They are as much a part of rural America as big red barns and cows.

夏末，在美国中西部地区，高大的玉米田很常见。 它们就像红色的大谷仓和奶牛一样，是美国乡村的一部分。

But soon, tall corn plants might become shorter, replaced by plants only half as tall.

但很快，高大的玉米植株可能会变得更矮，取而代之的是只有一半高的植物。

Cameron Sorgenfrey is a farmer in the Midwestern state of Iowa. He has been growing newly developed short corn for several years. His neighbors sometimes have questions about his smaller corn plants.

卡梅伦·索根弗雷 (Cameron Sorgenfrey) 是中西部爱荷华州的一名农民。 多年来，他一直在种植新开发的短玉米。 他的邻居有时会对他的小型玉米植株产生疑问。

"As you drive across the Midwest, maybe in the next seven, eight, 10 years, you're going to see a lot of this out there," Sorgenfrey said. “I think this is going to change agriculture in the Midwest," he added.

“当你开车穿过中西部时，也许在接下来的七年、八年、十年内，你会看到很多这样的东西，”索根弗雷说。 “我认为这将改变中西部的农业，”他补充道。

Bayer Crop Science developed the short corn and tested it on 12,141 hectares in the Midwest. One promise the company made to farmers was a kind of corn that could survive powerful windstorms. The corn is not only shorter, but it also has a larger base. It can withstand winds of up to 80 kilometers per hour.

拜耳作物科学公司开发了短粒玉米，并在中西部 12,141 公顷的土地上进行了测试。 该公司向农民做出的一个承诺是生产一种能够抵御强风暴的玉米。 玉米不仅较短，而且基部较大。 它可以承受高达每小时80公里的风。

The smaller plants can grow closer together than taller kinds. That means farmers can grow more corn on the same amount of land, which increases their profits. This will help farmers facing lower corn prices in recent years. The smaller plants could also lead to less water use.

较小的植物比较高的植物可以生长得更紧密。 这意味着农民可以在相同的土地上种植更多的玉米，从而增加他们的利润。 这将有助于农民应对近年来玉米价格较低的情况。 较小的工厂也可能导致用水量减少。

Dior Kelley is an assistant professor at Iowa State University. She is researching different possibilities for growing shorter corn. She said that because corn is the largest crop in the United States, more widespread use of the small kind will have a large effect.

迪奥·凯利是爱荷华州立大学的助理教授。 她正在研究种植较短玉米的不同可能性。 她说，由于玉米是美国最大的农作物，更广泛地使用这种小品种将产生很大的影响。

"It is huge. It's a big, fundamental shift," Kelley said.

Last year, American farmers grew more than 363 million metric tons of corn. Most was used for animal feed, the fuel additive ethanol, or exported to other countries.

去年，美国农民种植了超过 3.63 亿吨玉米。 大部分用于动物饲料、燃料添加剂乙醇，或出口到其他国家。

Scientists have long tried to develop better kinds of corn plants. But it has become more important for corn to grow even in very hot weather or when there is a lack of rain. Strong winds are another danger. In August 2020, a strong windstorm in the Midwest caused $11 billion in damage. It flattened both trees and corn plants only weeks before harvest time.

长期以来，科学家们一直在尝试培育更好的玉米品种。 但即使在非常炎热的天气或缺雨的情况下，玉米的生长也变得更加重要。 强风是另一个危险。 2020 年 8 月，中西部地区的一场强风暴造成了 110 亿美元的损失。 仅在收获季节前几周，树木和玉米植株就被夷为平地。

Kelley said she likes the idea of short corn. But she warns that short plants have their own problems to consider. For example, corn cobs that grow closer to the soil could be more at risk to diseases or mold.

凯利说她喜欢短玉米的主意。 但她警告说，矮小的植物也有自己的问题需要考虑。 例如，靠近土壤生长的玉米芯可能更容易受到疾病或霉菌的影响。

Brian Leake is a Bayer spokesperson. He said the company has been developing short corn for more than 20 years. In a few years, he hopes farmers will be growing short corn everywhere.

布莱恩·利克 (Brian Leake) 是拜耳发言人。 他说，该公司开发短玉米已有20多年了。 几年后，他希望各地农民都能种植矮玉米。