Unless the corn dies before it dries, your yield is dependent on the amount of plant weight it has accumulated until pollination. Plant weight = yield potential.
I never thought I'd see the day when drones replaced crop dusters. Back as a kid, my dream wasn't to be a pilot, it was to be a crop duster. The smile when that pilot does the chandelle at the end of a row to come back for another pass . . . . .
The problem everyone is facing right now is drought, which requires constant irrigation. Today's drought will lead to a continuous decrease in this year's yield.
One minute your a farmer, the next your driving a handful of hours to help family fight fires near their ranch. 2 days of packing water bags up and down rocky canyons, I'm beat!
Saved their friends cabin, a few neighbors hopefully end up as fortunate. 0 support from the state.