Climate change is fueling conditions across several states that make watching the corn grow a nail-biter for farmers. Factors like consistently high summer overnight temperatures and heavier-than-usual rains at the wrong time can all disrupt the plants’ pollination — making each full ear of corn less of a guarantee and more of a gamble. Corn growers got lucky overall this year with some late-season weather that contributed to what is now predicted to be a record bumper crop. But for farmers and experts alike, climate change is intensifying the waiting game during a critical time of year between planting and harvest.
To get that perfect ear of corn, weather has to cooperate. But climate change is making it dicier
