Managing water to supply the correct amount of water at the proper time is essential to produce maximum grain yields.
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Stephen Strachan is a former research scientist at DUPONT Pioneer-Division of Agronomy.
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Manage water for corn production
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In the Midwestern Corn Belt, a successful corn crop consumes about 25 acre-inches of water – 680,000 gallons per acre – during its life cycle.
Figure 1a. Stomatal pores allow for the exchange of water and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and leaf internal structures.
Figure 1b. Stomatal chambers serve as locations where liquid water converts to water vapor for subsequent escape into the atmosphere through stomatal pores.
Figure 2. Infrared imagery of a corn leaf shows the capacity of evaporative cooling to maintain plant temperature. Leaf temperature at 81.2 degrees is almost 10 degrees cooler than the ambient air temperature of 91 degrees.
