Growing corn seed
The Beginner's Guide to Growing Corn
Corn is more American than apple pie and it’s been cultivated in North American gardens for over 4,000 years. Even though it takes up a large share of garden space, many gardeners make room because of the unbeatable sweet taste of fresh-picked ears.
The sugar in the kernels of ears of open-pollinated sweet corn varieties starts changing to starch almost as soon as you pick the ears. However, plant breeders have developed dozens of new and ever-sweeter cultivars that retain their sugar content for days. If sweetness is your prime goal, choose varieties listed as supersweet (abbreviated as sh3 in seed catalogs), but keep in mind that these may not be as vigorous as other types of sweet corn. If you prefer good old-fashioned corny flavor, pick standard (su) varieties. For a compromise between sweetness and vigor, choose sugary-enhanced varieties (se). If you like to experiment with the latest innovations, try planting a synergistic variety. These varieties produce ears with a combination of sugary-enhanced kernels and supersweet kernels on each ear. Whichever type you decide to grow, it’s a good idea to check with other local growers or your Cooperative Extension service to see what varieties have a good track record in your area.
If you have lots of garden space, you may also want to try growing some popcorn or ornamental corn, which have similar planting and care needs as sweet corn.
Planting
Corn is very susceptible to frosts. Look out for signs of frost to know if a cold snap will kill your crop. Corn doesn’t transplant well, either, so if you garden in a short-season area and want to start corn indoors, use biodegradable pots to avoid disturbing the roots at transplanting time. It’s better to wait until all danger of frost is past and the soil warms up to the 60 degrees needed for seed germination. If the weather stays cool, spread black plastic on the planting area to warm the soil more quickly.
If you want corn only for fresh eating, plant a minimum of 10 to 15 plants per person. To extend your harvest, sow an early-maturing type every 2 weeks for 6 weeks, or plant early, mid-season, and late types at the same time. To avoid cross-pollination, keep different corn cultivars (especially supersweets) 400 or more yards apart, or plant them so they tassel 2 weeks apart.
Site your corn patch in a sunny, wind-protected area. Corn is an extremely heavy feeder, especially on nitrogen, so it thrives in a place where soil-enriching crops like beans, hairy vetch, or clover grew the previous season, or add 20 to 30 pounds from the compost pile per 100 square feet to the soil as you prepare it for planting.
The best way to promote complete pollination is to plant corn in blocks rather than long individual rows — a block should be at least three rows wide. If you plant only one or two rows, hand pollinate to improve kernel formation.
For early plantings, sow seeds only 1 inch deep; in the hot weather of midsummer, plant them up to 2 inches deep. The average germination rate for sweet corn is about 75 percent, so plant three seeds together every 7 to 15 inches. They should germinate in 7 to 10 days. Thin to one plant every 15 inches. To avoid disturbing remaining plants, remove unwanted seedlings by cutting them off at soil level.
Growing Guidelines
Corn can’t compete with weeds, so be sure to kill weeds thoroughly around the stalks for the first month of growth. After that, corn’s shallow roots will spread out as much as 1 foot from the stalk; be careful not to disturb these roots, because it’s easy to damage them. Instead, apply mulch to prevent weeds from sprouting.
Corn needs about 1 inch of water a week, particularly when the stalks begin to tassel. Water stress during pollination will result in ears with lots of missing kernels, so don’t skip watering your corn patch.
Apply water at the soil surface by using a soaker hose or drip irrigation. Avoid spraying plants from above, which could wash pollen off the flowering tops.
When the stalks are 6 inches tall, side-dress them with blood meal or diluted fish-based fertilizer and repeat the feeding when they are about knee-high. Don’t remove any side shoots or suckers that appear; they won’t harm production, and cutting them might damage roots.
Problems
Cutworms sometimes attack corn seedlings and flea beetles may chew holes in the leaves of young plants.
Corn earworms are one of the best-known corn pests. They also attack tomatoes and are most prevalent in the southern and central states. Earworm moths lay eggs on corn silks and the larvae crawl inside the husks to feed at the tips of the developing ears. The yellow-headed worms grow up to about 2 inches long and have yellow, green, or brown stripes on their bodies.
To prevent earworm problems, use an eyedropper or spray bottle to apply a mixture of vegetable oil, Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), water, and a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the tip of each ear several days after the silks emerge. Or you can try pinning a clothespin to the tip of each ear once the silks start to turn brown to prevent the worms from crawling through to the ear.
European corn borers are 1 inch long, flesh-colored worms marked with tiny black dots that feed on foliage, especially near the top of the stalk where the leaves emerge. They also bore into the developing ears. Bt and spinosad are effective controls if applied early, before the borers tunnel into the stalks. Corn borers overwinter as full-grown larvae in weed stems and old cornstalks. Pull up and destroy such winter refuges to break their life cycle.
Cucumber beetle larvae, also known as corn rootworms, feed on corn roots, causing plants to weaken and collapse. Adults are yellow beetles with black stripes or spots.
To kill the rootworms, apply Heterorhabditis nematodes to the soil.
Seed-corn maggots attack kernels planted too deeply in cool soil. These yellowish white maggots are ¼ inch long, with pointed heads. If they attack, wait until warmer weather to plant another crop at a shallower level.
Animal pests can seriously reduce your corn yields. Birds may be a problem at both seeding and harvesting time, while raccoons are fond of the ripening ears.
Clean garden practices, crop rotation, and planting resistant hybrids are the best defenses against most diseases, including Stewart’s wilt, a bacterial disease that causes wilting and pale streaks on leaves.
Corn smut makes pale, shining, swollen galls that burst and release powdery black spores. Cut off and dispose of galls before they open. If necessary, destroy affected plants to keep smut from spreading. It can remain viable in the soil for 5 to 7 years.
Hand Pollinating Corn
In order to produce kernels, wind must deposit pollen from the tassels (plant tops) onto each of the silks on the ears.
Every unpollinated silk results in an undeveloped kernel. If you’re planting only a single or double row of corn plants, you can improve pollination by transferring pollen from tassels to silks yourself. Collect pollen as soon as the silks emerge from the ears and the tassels have a loose, open appearance. Wait for a morning when there’s no breeze, and shake the tassels over a dry bucket or other container to release the pollen. Collect pollen from several plants. Immediately transfer the pollen into a small paper bag and sprinkle the powdery material onto the silks of each ear in your corn patch. Repeat once or twice on subsequent days for best results.
Harvesting
Three weeks after corn silks appear, start checking ears for peak ripeness. Pull back part of the husk and pierce a kernel with your thumbnail. If a milky liquid spurts out, the ears are at prime ripeness — rush those ears to the table, refrigerator, or freezer. Ears on the same stalk usually ripen a few days apart.
A completely dry silk or a yellow or faded-green sheath means the ear is past its prime.
Leave ornamental corn and popcorn on the stalks to dry until the first hard frost. If the weather is cloudy and wet, cut and stack stalks in a cool, dry place until the corn dries.
How to Grow Corn from Seeds
These big plants will grow in almost any soil, but getting the cob to mature is another matter. The maturity of the ears (cobs) is not controlled by the size of the plant, nor by day-length, but by the accumulated heat the plant was exposed to as it grew. This measurement is known as “heat units.”
Corn plants generally grow very tall, and may shade other vegetables, so plan carefully. Some vegetables, such as lettuce, may benefit from this shade, but heat-loving plants must be placed so that the corn does not shade them. This heavy-feeding plant also provides a stalk for plants such as pole beans.
Latin
Zea mays
Family: Poaceae
Difficulty
Moderately challenging
Season & Zone
Season: Warm season
Exposure: Full-sun
Timing
Direct sow in late spring.
If the soil is not warm enough, seeds often rot before sprouting – especially when not treated with fungicide. Untreated corn seeds should be planted only when the soil has warmed up above 18°C (65°F) – warmer for super-sweet (sh3) types, and even warmer for a good stand. Use a soil thermometer. If spring weather is cold, consider planting in flats or individual pots, indoors with bottom heat, for transplanting. Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days. If it rains after planting and corn does not emerge, just re-plant the area.
Starting
Do not soak corn seeds prior to planting. Plant 2-5cm (1-2″) deep (shallower for sh3 seed or in cool soil). Sow seeds around 7.5cm (3″) apart, in rows 60-90cm (24-36″) apart. Because corn is wind pollinated, plant in a dense block of at least 4 rows, rather than in single rows. This increases the chance of corn pollen, which emerges from male flowers at the growing tip, to fall down onto the receptive female silks that extend from each corn cob.
Growing
Ideal pH: 5.8-6.8. Corn is a heavy feeder, so add manure or compost, and use 500g (1 lb) of complete organic fertilizer per 6m (60′) of row, mixing it thoroughly into the soil beneath each seed furrow. Thin to at least 20-25cm (8-10″) apart in the row. Large eared and double-eared varieties need to be 30cm (24″) apart. Keep free of weeds until knee-high, and then leave it alone.
Use the days to maturity listed for comparative purposes among the varieties only – every garden may be different.
Days to Maturity: From direct sowing.
Harvest
When the silks at the end of an ear are a dry brown, the cob seems to start to droop, and the kernels release milky juice when cut.
Harvesting Popcorn
Leave the ears of popcorn varieties on the plants to dry as long as possible into late summer and early fall. The husks should turn yellow/brown as they dry and the kernels should harden. Once the plants appear to be completely dry, or if wet weather is in the forecast, harvest the ears and bring them indoors.
Remove the husks. Store the ears in mesh bags in a warm, dry, airy location. The ideal humidity level for curing popcorn is 13 to 14%. Curing is the process after drying that allows for long term storage of popcorn kernels. Once a week, remove a few kernels and try popping them. Popcorn that is chewy or kernels that have jagged edges after popping both mean that the kernels are not dry enough. Continue curing and test-popping until the desired texture is reached. Then remove the kernels and store them in an air-tight container.
Seed Info
In optimal conditions at least 85% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 2 years. Per 100′ row: 400 seeds, per acre: 87M seeds.
Diseases & Pests
Disease: Prevent disease and nutritional exhaustion of the soil by using 4-year crop rotation and composting old stalks.
Pests: Wireworms are a pest in home gardens and may burrow into the seeds. Loopers are pale olive-green caterpillars up to 2.
5cm (1″) long. They chew into the centre of young corn plants and can kill the plant if the growing tip is damaged. Seed corn maggot is a small, legless maggot that attacks germinating seed. Planting in warm soil or using predatory nematodes may help prevent seed-destroying soil creatures.
Companion Planting
Corn is a good companion to beans, beets, cucumber, dill, melons, parsley, peas, potato, soya beans, squash, and sunflower. Avoid planting next to celery or tomatoes. Amaranth makes a great mulch between rows by competing with weeds and conserving ground moisture.
More on Companion Planting.
variety selection, outdoor planting and care, technology, useful tips
Content:
- Crop characteristics
- Which variety of corn to choose for cultivation
- Planting characteristics
- Soil requirements
- Heat requirements
- moisture
- Light and air requirements
- Growing corn in open ground
- Then planting corn
- Planting corn with seeds in open ground
- Growing corn with seedlings
- Corn care
- Weeding and hilling ,
- Watering and feeding
- Diseases and corn pests
- Coarous and storage of corn
It is difficult to find a person who does not like to meet sugar corps.
Most gardeners living in the private sector or owning a dacha strive to independently grow a crop of this unpretentious and useful crop for their family. In this article, you will learn how to grow corn at home so that it is juicy and not tough.
Features of culture
Corn belongs to the category of tall annual herbaceous crops. Despite the fact that this is a drought-resistant plant, it is necessary to systematically moisten the soil to get a good harvest. The stems of a heat-loving culture can reach a height of 4 m. The linear-lanceolate foliage is quite large. Its length is 100 cm, and its width does not exceed 10 cm.
Which variety of corn to choose for growing
When choosing a variety, it is worth considering the region in which you plan to grow corn. For gardeners living in the Urals, experts recommend purchasing early-ripening varieties, namely:
- "Tiraspolskaya-33";
- White Night;
- Pioneer of the North.
Properly caring for tall herbaceous crops, a rich harvest can be harvested in the Moscow region. When choosing seeds for the middle band, it is worth giving preference to unpretentious species, which include Dobrynya, Gamma, Madonna, Early Golden and Bonduelle.
Thanks to the painstaking work of breeders, today the cultivation of corn is possible even in Siberia. For this region, it is best to purchase cold-resistant varieties, such as Lakomka 121, Hutoryanka, Jubilee F1, Spirit, Bylina.
Planting features
How to grow corn so that the harvest is rich and the taste of the grains is tender? Below you can familiarize yourself with the features of planting and growing this plant in the garden and in the greenhouse.
Soil requirements
Growing corn outdoors is a fairly simple process that even a novice gardener can handle. First of all, you need to choose a site for planting seeds. The soil in the corn planting area should be fertile and rich in humus.
Heat requirements
Acceptable temperature for normal growth and development of the crop is +12…+25 °С. At night, the temperature should not fall below +12 ° C.
Moisture requirements
A drought tolerant plant, it is enough to water once a week. This is enough for the root system to be powerful.
Light and air requirements
Light-loving crop does not tolerate shading. By planting seeds too close, you can slow down the development of plants. The recommended daylight hours are 10-14 hours. It is also important to ensure a normal flow of oxygen into the soil.
Growing corn outdoors
Beginning gardeners often wonder if there are any special conditions for growing corn outdoors that need to be observed. There are few such nuances, but they exist. Read on and learn about the main ones.
Then plant corn
If you plan to plant fodder corn, you can sow seeds in a field where grains and legumes used to be grown.
In the country, it is worth planting a grassy crop after potatoes, tomatoes, peas, beans, chickpeas, soybeans, peanuts.
Planting corn with seeds in open ground
Before planting seeds in open ground, it is worth digging holes. The distance between the recesses according to the corn planting scheme should reach 30 cm, and between the rows should be more than 70 cm. 2–3 grains are sown in each hole. The recommended depth of planting material is 9 cm. Using a wide-row method avoids a dense planting.
The first shoots will appear 12-14 days after planting. After a couple of weeks, weak shoots should be removed, leaving only those that develop well.
Growing corn by seedlings
When growing corn in a country house in a region with a cold climate, the seedling method should be preferred. How to plant corn for seedlings in spring? Follow this algorithm:
- Prepare deep cups with holes in the bottom.
- Lay a drainage layer - perlite or broken brick.
- Fill cups with fertile loose soil and make a hole up to 4 cm deep in each container.
- Plant a few seeds in each hole.
- Cover the hole with potting soil and moisten the soil generously.
After planting, cover the cups with polyethylene until the first shoots appear. It is important to systematically remove the film for ventilation. Before transplanting seedlings, experienced gardeners recommend hardening them in the fresh air (for example, on a balcony).
Caring for corn
Before planting corn, it is worth reading the information regarding care and cultivation in the open field.
Weeding and hilling
Agronomists advise timely removal of weeds in the corn field and loosening the soil. Also, do not forget about hilling, stimulating the formation of additional roots.
Watering and fertilizing
It is important to systematically moisten the soil at the planting site. The recommended watering frequency is once every 7 days.
To get a rich harvest, it is worth taking care of applying top dressings, namely:
- peat;
- diluted chicken manure;
- manure.
To stimulate the growth of green mass and accelerate the ripening of cobs, it is necessary to add bone and fish meal to the soil.
Diseases and pests of corn
Having learned how to sow corn and how to properly care for it, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the diseases and pests that affect the crop. It is susceptible to swedish fly larvae, corn borers, aphids, wireworms and striped click beetles. You can fight insects by treating plants with special preparations ("Horus", "Trichofit", "Ultrafit").
Diseases such as diplodia, helminthosporium leaf blight and corn rust often affect annual crops. To cope with ailments and not be left without a crop, agronomists advise systematically inspecting a corn field. Upon detection of the first signs of the disease, it is necessary to immediately spray the plants with a fungicidal agent, such as Coronet, Abacus and Akanto.
Harvesting and storing corn
Harvest should be done selectively as the ears mature. Dried edges and brown hairs at the top of the corn signal the need for heading. Depending on the crop variety and sowing time, harvesting is carried out in late July - mid-August.
Corn cobs should be stored in a dry room at a temperature of +18…+19 °C. If you do not clean the heads of leaves, you can keep the crop fresh for 4-6 weeks.
Please note! For longer storage, it is allowed to place the crop in the freezer. Overripe cobs can be left for grain to plant them in the country next year.
Before you start sowing seeds, it is important to familiarize yourself with information on how to properly grow corn and how far to sow the seeds. Having learned the technology of planting a crop and further caring for it, you can avoid the mistakes that novice gardeners often make and get a heavy harvest of sweet and juicy cobs.
Related content: vegetable garden, gardeners, horticulture, fertilizers for the garden, fertilizers for the garden
In recent years, corn has taken an increasingly stable position in the world grain market.
In this area, the natural and economic conditions of Ukraine make it possible not only to meet domestic needs, but also to significantly increase its export potential. However, in reality, there are still numerous agro-technological barriers to creating a stable and favorable environment, including market infrastructure, in the production practice of growing corn.
Corn: main characteristics
Corn is one of the leading steps in the world grain portfolio. It is worth noting that over the past few years, the grain yield, when compared with other crops, in our country has received the highest value.
The main feature of maize plants is a better ability to absorb light rays due to the fixation of 1 CO2 molecule with 4 carbon atoms. Given this, she belongs to the C4 group.
Corn is a highly productive crop in terms of the volume of formations of dry mass during the growing season (up to 220 kg per hectare per day and up to 110 kg per hectare between the phases of 8 leaf, ear formation and maturity).
Basic requirements for the cultivation of corn
The requirements of corn for moisture, temperature, light, nutritional conditions and similar environmental factors are increased. Its hybrids differ significantly over the growing season, and therefore have different requirements for these indicators. Therefore, how to grow corn to get high production rates? In the case of using technical operations, taking into account the soil and climatic characteristics of the zone, environmental requirements, the crop provides the maximum yield.
On a clean and breathable surface with a significant layer of humus, a high content of nutrients and water, with a composition of 5.5–7 pH, corn shows the maximum yield. The cultivation technology with high results provides for sowing on chernozem, sandy loam, gray loamy, chestnut and floodplain lands. During the germination period, corn seeds require aeration, as the germ absorbs a significant amount of oxygen. High yields are ensured when its index in the soil air is not lower than 18–20%.
The maximum favorable temperature for crop growth is 25–30 °C. The plant is resistant to drought by the booting phase. The culture perceives well the temporary shortage of water in the soil layers, and low air humidity.
Maize also requires active solar radiation. Cultivation for excessive thickening and infestation of crops has a negative impact on the yield.
Temperature
According to the technology of growing corn, the optimum temperature for the appearance of the first seedlings is +18–25 °C, but the germination process begins already after +9°C. If the indicator is +32 ° C, the appearance of sprouts is delayed, and above +35 ° C - growth stops.
As is typical for other crops, the sum of temperatures before the appearance of initial pairs of developed leaves is 140 °C, before the formation of cobs - 700 °C, and before flowering - 1200 °C.
To achieve optimal assimilation, plants need to develop at +22-30°C, the lower figure is +12°C and the upper one is +38°C.
Very low temperatures can adversely affect the vegetation of the crop. So, in the phase of 3 leaves and flowering, the temperature below +3 °C is critical. For its part, an increase in the temperature regime provokes an increased reaction of plant organs, except for generative ones. There is also an intensive formation of cellulose, the level of which affects the productivity of biogas.
Amount of light
Corn loves intense light. At the same time, 700–1200 W per sq. m. The more light the plants receive, the better they grow, the sooner the leaves form and the earlier the lines close. Therefore, due to the high need for irradiation, it is better to sow on elevations - more than 400 m, where the sun's rays are more intense.
On the other hand, the reduction of daylight hours accelerates the generative development of the crop, further affecting the quality of the grain due to the formation of a high starch content. Therefore, the ideal option is to reach the flowering phase even before the increase in daylight.
Moisture
During the main growing season, grain corn plants require almost 22 liters of water per square meter. m, for silage - 38 l per sq. m (when the raw material for silage is almost 30% dry matter). The crop needs maximum moisture when it blooms, forms grain and ripens. At the same time, the water content in the plant significantly affects the weight of the seed and the quality of the green mass.
The reduction in yield causes a significant increase in temperature (+32 °C and above), as well as hot weather during the growing season. The lack of moisture in this aspect is rather not the main role.
Soil tillage for corn
Soil tillage is an essential costly technological operation. With its help, water, temperature, air and other nutrients are regulated, which is especially important in drought conditions.
Traditional grain corn cultivation involves general methods of moisture conservation such as hulling, polishing or non-moldboard deep (25–27 cm) tillage, harrowing (early spring, pre-emergence and post-emergence), cultivation (before planting and between rows).
After the field is cleared of predecessors, peeling or disking (milling after coarse stems) is carried out 6–8 cm down, and after the appearance of pest plants, by 8–10 cm.0045
The main mistake of growing corn for grain can be the formation of a very shallow, wet or hard surface, as well as the lack of a loose layer at a ten centimeter level. When only the surface is treated, the plants do not take root deeply, and there is less development of the main roots. In addition, at deep levels of the soil, where insufficient ventilation can form an unfavorable environment that will stop the mineralization of nitrogen.
No-Till
In recent years, the no-till technology of growing corn for grain in Ukraine has spread significantly - a protective energy-saving method of direct sowing without treatments. Regulatory accumulation and preservation of moisture in the soil occurs due to natural methods - meteorological (precipitation, temperature) and biological (remains of previous crops).
For no-till residues from predecessors can protect the soil surface from thermal overheating and help reduce moisture evaporation. Thus, compliance with the optimal timing of operations is an important factor in increasing crop productivity in this technology and reducing the cost of growing corn.
Strip-Till
Strip-till corn technology has significant advantages, including the prevention of erosion and whitening with standing water. Keeping the structure of the soil between the rows, the moves made by earthworms are not affected. Therefore, even with heavy precipitation, water in the fields where the strip-till technology is used does not stagnate, but very quickly gets into the deep layers, where it accumulates. On the one hand, this prevents the leaching of nutrients and the fertile layer from the surface with its accumulation in the lower parts, and on the other hand, it saturates with moisture, which is used by plants in the next phases of development.
With this technology, crop residues and stubble remain untouched between the rows by covering with soil.
In such conditions, there is enough moisture and there is access to oxygen. This is the optimal environment in which organic matter decomposes and nutrients are released.
In strip-till technology, the straw not only protects the soil for subsequent crops, but also prevents washout and erosion, which temporarily stops the decrease in moisture until row spacing closes, when liquid can evaporate significantly during active sun and heat.
Deep loosening
Deep loosening, according to the technology of growing corn, is an effective method of changing the soil layer, which was formed after processing with a disc, flat-cutting unit. Such a technological operation destroys the plow pan of the surface.
A high soil-protective loosening index is ensured by the preservation of the main post-harvest residues and a sharp change in surface runoff. This method is also effective due to the accumulation of moisture, especially during wet autumn. In autumn, after deep cultivation, there is no continuous frost.
This creates favorable conditions for the absorption of melt water and reduces its runoff, mainly during the late pre-winter periods. As a rule, the working depth is 30–45 cm.
Disc harrowing with a heavy disc harrow
Soil cultivation with discs is a non-moldboard method. It is performed by disk units to a depth of 6 to 20 cm. Disk crushing, partially mixing the soil and destroying weeds. It is advisable to use this method after stubble predecessors and after tilled crops.
Disking is an important operation that solves important problems:
- destruction of pest plants, harmful insects and pathogens;
- keeps and accumulates moisture;
- activates microbiological processes;
- moves to the top layer of plant residues, as well as fertilizers;
- high-quality preparation for the following technological operations.
Plowing
Autumn plowing is carried out in autumn under spring crops. For the next year, such an operation has a significant advantage, compared with the processing in the spring for early or late sowing.
Plowing is effective when the surface is highly weedy, especially with perennial pests, and on a heavy soil layer. Autumn processing helps to more efficiently accumulate and store moisture after precipitation and spring melt water.
Plowing contributes to the formation of optimal agrophysical properties. This ensures a favorable development of the microbiological environment in the soil. Thanks to this technological operation, it is possible to effectively deal with pest plants (including perennials), harmful insects and pathogens. Plowing ensures the optimal phytosanitary condition of the soil. The tillage is carried out to a depth of 25 to 33 cm.
Disc-shank aggregates
Disc aggregates till the soil to a depth of 20 cm. Therefore, such tools replace, for example, cultivation or plowing. Diskolapovye aggregates are also used to earn organic or mineral fertilizers into the soil.
The main purpose of working with such tools is to loosen the upper layers, which helps to retain moisture, creates conditions for its accumulation in the period from harvesting to plowing.
Sowing corn
The technology of growing corn for grain involves sowing corn seeds in a dotted way, when the row spacing is 70 centimeters deep. It is important to avoid excessive thickening, under such conditions the development of the cob is suppressed, the moisture consumption from the soil increases, and the competition of plants for light increases significantly. As a result, fine grains and weakly poured grains are formed, and the harvesting period is also delayed. Given the hybrid and varietal characteristics of the ripeness groups, early-ripening plants are somewhat smaller, so they can be sown more densely.
In addition to density when planting corn, it is important to consider even seed placement. By reducing the row spacing, it is possible to achieve optimal standing of plants, however, under such conditions, a negative effect on the formation of grains in the cob was also recorded. The recommended sowing rate for corn seeds is 10–25 kg/ha.
Seed preparation
Seeds are dried to 13-14% moisture, then sized, fungicides and insecticides are applied.
The weight of the seed lot (1000 seeds) is set according to the fractions for each hybrid.
It is necessary to sow conditioned seeds, the germination of which is at least 85%, and the purity is not lower than 98%. The germination energy should be at least 90%, it is very important that the seedlings are friendly and even.
Sowing time
The level of productivity of hybrids of different maturity and grain moisture during harvesting significantly depend on the sowing time of corn. The optimal period for sowing is the heating of the layer at the depth of seed placement to +10–12 °C. Late sowing prolongs the ripening and harvesting of grain up to 17–20 days. Under such conditions, grain moisture, as a rule, is 26–30% or more. Therefore, in order to dry to the baseline (14%), you need to spend almost 50% of energy resources of the total volume on production.
For its part, early sowing of corn for grain at a temperature of +6–7 °C at the depth of seed placement contributes to better use of moisture, and flowering of plants does not occur during a critical temperature period.
The culture is also well pollinated under such conditions. The disadvantage of early dates is the long period of emergence of seedlings, since seedlings appear only 14–16 days after sowing, or even later.
Seeding Methods
A common sowing method is staggered, when the row spacing is 45 cm, 70 cm or other, depending on the seeding units available. With a significant sowing density, the development of the cob worsens.
In order for the seedlings to be friendly and even, the seed should be planted at the same depth. Such a result can be obtained if the soil is carefully leveled and the seeder is correctly adjusted to a given depth level. In the forest-steppe and woodland zones, corn seeds are planted 4-6 centimeters. If the soils are light and the seedbed is dry, the seedbed is 5–8 centimeters down. In excessively wet areas, this figure is reduced by 3-4 centimeters. In the western part of Ukraine, early ripe cold-resistant hybrids are sown later, and only 2-3 cm down.
In the steppe zone, with deficient moisture in the upper layer, the seeds are buried deep - 6-10 centimeters.
Seeding rates
The recommended sowing density for the territory of Ukraine is 25-80 thousand plants per hectare. Early ripe hybrids sow up to 85-90 thousand plants per hectare. Approximately five or six seeds should be placed per meter of row length with a row spacing of 70 cm, which will provide a density of 80,000 hectares, and seven seeds - 100,000 per hectare.
The pre-harvest indicator is set by the seed insurance premium, which for the Forest-Steppe and Polissia is 30-40%. The weight rate of sowing seeds is in the range of 15–25 kilograms per hectare, for corn for silage and for reducing the row spacing, it can increase to 30–40 kg per 1 ha.
Corn in crop rotation
Corn is best sown after winter cereals, legumes, as well as potatoes, beets, melons and other row crops. At a low level of moisture, it is not recommended to grow corn for grain after sugar beets and sunflowers due to the strong drying of the soil at a considerable depth.
Corn can also be used as a monoculture.
Placement of the crop after the best predecessors improves the soil environment, affects the reduction of weed infestation and the spread of pathogens and harmful insects. Thus, the development of corn plants is stabilized.
Care of corn crops
When annual weeds appear, harrowing is carried out. It is carried out after the emergence of corn seedlings, in the phase of 2–3 and 4–5 leaves. During the growing season, row spacings are cultivated 6–8 cm deep. To destroy the crust on the surface and destroy germinating weeds, harrowing is carried out 5–6 days after sowing.
Harrowing
Immediately after sowing, according to the technology of growing corn, the field must be rolled to improve seed-soil contact, increase germination and ensure friendly emergence of seedlings. Harrowing before germination is carried out five or six days after sowing, when weeds have appeared and to the white thread phase.
It is recommended to harrow across the row with a light or medium harrow.
For carrying out two or three harrowings to shoots, you can get rid of 70–80% of pest plants. Harrowing after the emergence of seedlings is carried out in the phases of 2–3 and 4–5 leaves in corn, when the unit speed is 4.5–5.5 km/h. The use of harrows 3-4 times in a clean, little abandoned field helps to avoid herbicide treatment.
Fertilization and irrigation of corn
Efficiency of applying microfertilizers and seed protection agents depends on a set of conditions: weather conditions, fertility level and biological characteristics of the crop. Natural and climatic conditions affect the availability of nutrients and water in the soil, and directly on the yield of corn. Cultivation and care of crops at all stages involves the use of complex fertilizers.
Decrease in the stock of productive moisture in the soil layer during the growing season by 10 millimeters reduces the effectiveness of food preparations by almost 0.01–0.02 t/ha. Therefore, given the climate changes that have occurred in recent years, the interest in how to grow corn on irrigation is growing.
Basic fertilizer for corn
Corn plants absorb a large number of different elements useful for vegetation. The nutrition system consists of the main application of fertilizers, which is applied in autumn or spring before sowing, pre-sowing and feeding during growth and formation of cobs.
Providing plants with phosphorus and potassium, corn becomes more resistant to thermal stress and lack of water, improves the amino acid composition of the protein. Phosphorus and magnesium help to better form filled grains, provide quick and uniform ripening. Nitrogen affects the quality of the crop most of all, in addition to increasing yields, the content of microelements in grain also increases.
Corn top dressing
The high need of plants for the main nutrients occurs during the period of intensive growth of the vegetative mass and the formation of reproductive organs. Feeding corn with mineral fertilizers makes it possible to obtain a yield increase of 10–12% or more.
Plants require increased mineral nutrition, due to the long vegetation and the ability to assimilate useful elements by the end of the grain ripening phase. To determine the doses of mineral fertilizers for the planned harvest, the balance method is used, taking into account the actual fertility and the established standards for the consumption of microelements for 1 ton of grain: 25 kilograms of nitrogen, 12 kilograms of phosphorus, 25 kilograms of potassium.
Maize irrigation
Moisture is the limiting production factor. Therefore, in order to provide plants with water in the required amount, irrigation systems are installed. In recent years, drip irrigation has been in great demand. Such a system helps to efficiently use water and carry out fertigation during critical periods of plant development.
Drip irrigation in corn fields is proving cost effective in many countries. A particular advantage of this technology is the saving of water resources, which is 30-50% compared to sprinkling.
