Barb Boustead recalls being introduced to the concept of corn sweat when she relocated to Nebraska approximately two decades ago to work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Surrounded by vast fields of corn, Boustead quickly learned that the rise in humidity during late summer, caused by corn plants releasing moisture to cool themselves, was a well-known phenomena among locals.
However, this characteristic of Midwestern summers may be becoming more pronounced due to the influence of climate change and the expansion of industrial agriculture. Climate change is leading to higher temperatures, warmer nights, and an increased capacity of the atmosphere to hold moisture. These changes have altered growing conditions, enabling farmers to plant corn further north and increasing the overall volume of corn in the United States.
Farmers are also dedicating more acreage to corn cultivation, partly in response to the demand for ethanol, as reported by the USDA’s Economic Research Service. With more corn plants working harder to regulate their temperature, the resulting increase in humidity adds to the discomfort of Midwestern summers.
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The concentration of corn in the Midwest magnifies the impact, as all plants enter the evapotranspiration stage around the same time, resulting in a noticeable surge of humidity, according to Boustead.
Dennis Todey, head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Midwest Climate Hub, which assists producers in adapting to climate change, highlighted how corn primarily undergoes evapotranspiration in July, rather than August.
He also mentioned that soybeans tend to release more water vapor than corn in August.
Todey emphasized the need for further research to comprehend how climate change will impact corn sweat, mentioning that factors like rainfall, crop variety, and cultivation methods all play a role.
Lew Ziska, an associate professor at Columbia University who studies the effects of climate change on crops, underscored that warmer conditions result in increased transpiration. When asked if the rise in corn sweat is a consequence of climate change, he answered simply, “Yes.”
Ziska also highlighted the growing demand for corn in ethanol production. Over 40% of corn grown in the U.S. is used to produce biofuels, consumed by vehicles and, in some cases, aircraft. Data from the Renewable Fuels Association shows a steady rise in global ethanol production, interrupted only by a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The use of ethanol also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, further exacerbating global warming.
“The increase in temperatures leading to greater water loss in plants should not come as a surprise to anyone,” Ziska remarked.
