Heat Wave Devastates Nebraska Corn Yields

Record-breaking heat in July has severely impacted corn yields in Nebraska, one of the country's top corn-producing states. The month saw temperatures soar to an average of 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit, surpassing even the scorching conditions of the Dust Bowl years in the 1930s.

According to University of Nebraska-Lincoln agronomy professor Patricio Grassini, many irrigated cornfields have ears with incomplete kernel development, resulting in sizeable portions of the cob being completely bare.

'High temperatures during the end of July and early August may likely explain it, since density was typical and there were no problems with water, nitrogen, diseases, etc.'

Grassini warned that this could lead to below-average irrigated corn yields, particularly in eastern and southwestern Nebraska and Kansas. The UNL Hybrid-Maize Yield model update from August 25 called for 'the probability of below-average irrigated yields', applying to almost three-quarters (74%) of the state's corn production.