Climate Change: Effect of 1922-2002 Weather on Corn Yield for a Transect from Raymondville, TX, to Brookings, SD
2008
Runge, E. C. A. | Benci, John F.
The western Corn Belt and southwestern corn growing areas have highly variable year-to-year corn yields due to variation in rainfall and variation in frequency of high temperatures during the growing season. Irrigation is practiced at many locations to stabilize year-to-year yield variation. Early planting is desirable since higher temperatures coupled with less rainfall occur more frequently as the growing season or year advances. In this study weather records were used simulate corn yields for the period 1922-1997 or 1922-2002. Western and southwestern corn growing locations were selected from Raymondville, TX, to Brookings, SD, on a 1250-mile-long transect. Model results indicate that weather associated with early tassel dates always produced the best yield for all locations. Yield simulations were made for three plant-available stored soil moisture levels at or near planting time. Weather data were selected to have corn tassel from 22 April to 3 June for Raymondville and ranged from 24 June to 5 August for Manhattan, KS; Lincoln, NE; and Brookings, SD, locations to produce early, early to normal, normal to late and late tassel dates for all 12 locations. Model results agree with observations that early planting, and large amounts of plant-available stored soil moisture at planting time are essential to achieve desired corn yields at these locations under non-irrigated conditions.
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