For those who primarily associate corn with butter-drenched cobs, it may be surprising to learn that other forms of sweet corn are facing challenges. A recent analysis from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reveals a steady decline in sweet corn production for frozen and canned products in the U.S. over the past 27 years, particularly in rainfed areas of the Midwest.
“The processing sweet corn industry, which includes corn grown for canned and frozen products, was thriving in the U.S. throughout the 20th century. This type of production, as opposed to fresh-market corn on the cob, accounts for the majority of sweet corn acres in the U.S. Witnessing signs of struggle in recent decades after such success is a concerning trend,” said senior study author Marty Williams, an ecologist at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and affiliate professor in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois.
Williams and co-author Daljeet Dhaliwal analyzed proprietary data obtained from major vegetable processing companies, which included records for 20,000 processing sweet corn fields between 1992 and 2018. The data was divided into five distinct production areas based on different water management practices: Illinois irrigated, Illinois rainfed, Minnesota rainfed, Washington irrigated, and Wisconsin irrigated. The researchers examined trends in planting acres, green ear mass (yield), hybrid lifespan, and more.
“We observed a decline in acreage across the production areas in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, where most processing sweet corn production takes place. The only area that showed an increase in green ear mass was the irrigated fields of Wisconsin. The steepest declines were observed in rainfed locations in the Midwest, particularly Illinois,” said Williams.
According to the data, rainfed production is more variable and increasingly risky for sweet corn production in certain parts of the Midwest compared to irrigation. Williams explained that wide swings in precipitation, especially drought during key growth stages, have a significant impact on yield. This is evident in the Illinois rainfed systems, where the data revealed a significant drop in green ear mass in recent years.
While the analysis focused on illustrating long-term trends rather than determining causes, Williams and Dhaliwal found a strong correlation between extreme temperatures and yield loss in sweet corn, pointing to the influence of climate change. Additionally, consumer preference for fresh produce over canned products is another contributing factor to the shrinking sweet corn production area.
The study also identified interesting patterns regarding the hybrids grown in processing sweet corn fields. The majority of hybrids (60%) were only grown for a single year, indicating the industry’s interest in finding new germplasm and products. However, there was one hybrid that was grown for the entire 27-year period, accounting for about a quarter of the acres. This suggests a preference among sweet corn processors for “workhorse” hybrids that consistently perform well across various conditions. Williams emphasized that processing sweet corn needs to meet specific criteria in terms of structure and flavor to ensure quality during canning or freezing.
While the dataset cannot predict the future of the industry, Williams believes there may be regional shifts in production areas, potentially moving towards locations with better irrigation infrastructure. Additionally, investing in the development of climate-resilient and stress-tolerant hybrids is crucial for seed companies, regardless of their planting location.
The findings of the study were published in the journal HortScience.
More information:
Daljeet S. Dhaliwal et al, An Outlook on Processing Sweet Corn Production from the Last Three Decades (1990s–2010s), HortScience (2023). DOI: 10.21273/HORTSCI17109-23
Citation:
Canned, frozen corn industry struggling across US growing regions (2023, July 10)
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