Negative Effects of Growing Corn

Fertilizers

• Corn is a heavy feeder with a big appetite for nitrogen and a sweet tooth for phosphorus. Growers reapply fertilizers several times during the growing season, increasing the potential for runoff of the excess nitrogen and phosphorus. That runoff then contaminates surface and ground waters and promotes out-of-control algae growth or bloom. The algae then deplete the oxygen in the waterways, killing the fish and other wildlife.

Herbicides and Pesticides

• Atrazine is one of the most commonly used herbicides in corn production, and it is a common groundwater contaminant. Atrazine has been found to cause cancer in rats and may be carcinogenic in humans. Chlorpyrifos, an insecticide regularly used in corn production, is a neurotoxin that poses risks to children. The USDA reports that almost 70 metric tons of herbicides and over 4 metric tones of insecticides were used in corn production in the United States in 2000.

Irrigation

• Increased growing of corn in dry areas has had detrimental effects on those areas' water supplies. That tasty ear of corn that sprays juice on your neighbor as you bite into its kernels is a result of growing in consistently moist conditions. Areas without sufficient rainfall rely heavily on irrigation to provide enough moisture for a successful corn crop. Unfortunately, that irrigation, according to a report by the Global Development and Environment Institute, occurs at an unsustainable rate, depleting the local aquifer and the amount of water available to the local community.

Options

• Lessen the need for chemical fertilizers by growing a cover crop of legumes after harvesting the corn crop. Legumes transfer nitrogen from the atmosphere into the soil for the next crop to use. Use compost and other organic material as natural non-toxic fertilizer alternatives. The organic material plus a layer of mulch helps retain water, lessening the need for irrigation. Rotating crops, planting at the right time and sowing resistant varieties of corn can decrease the need for chemical pesticides