Karl Plume

(Reuters) – Bayer, a global producer of farm chemicals and seeds, will introduce a new corn variety to the United States in 2019. It claims that this will be more resilient to heavy winds caused by climate change. Future sales are expected in North America at as high as 1 million euros.

At a Thursday media event, the company stated that the corn which is one-third shorter than the current variety will be planted in an experiment in U.S. by 150 farmers. The trial will last for three years and then the product will be available to the general market.

Short-stature corn, the latest corn variety to be bred for climate change and volatile weather conditions is now part of a growing group that also includes soybeans and other crops with high tolerance to heat and drought.

Bayer stated that the first plantings of short corn from its new variety will come from traditional bred seed. In North America and in other regions, biotech traits will be available in 2027.

Bob Reiter from Bayer’s Crop Science Division, said that “We see a fitting of short-staturecorn across every corn acres around the world.”

Bayer claims that the crop will be simpler to grow because of the smaller plants. This will make it easier for Bayer to apply fertilizer and pesticides in the middle of the season. The crop’s ability to withstand windy conditions, such as in Iowa where millions were destroyed by the 2020 derecho, will make it more resilient.