WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 7: John Hooley grills corn and sausage for a birthday picnic at Fletcher’s Cove on May 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Maansi Srivastava for The Washington Post) Consumer ...

The smaller stalks could also lead to less water use at a time of growing drought concerns.. U.S. farmers grow corn on about 90 million acres (36 million hectares) each year, usually making it the ...