How to grow corn to achieve high yield?

Corn belongs to the genus Zea mays of the Poaceae family. It is now widely grown around the world. There are many varieties, including sweet corn, glutinous corn, feed corn, popcorn, etc., which are suitable for different uses. So how can we grow corn to achieve high yields?

1. Land preparation is crucial

In order to save trouble, some farmers choose not to prepare the land when planting corn in spring and directly carry out no-till planting, or they do not prepare the land well and just plant the corn after random treatment. The result is a low corn germination rate. Even if the corn germination occurs, the growth condition is poor and the yield cannot be increased.

For summer-sown corn, no-tillage is feasible, but it is not suitable for spring-sown corn, especially in cold regions such as the Northeast and Inner Mongolia, where the soil easily freezes in winter and the soil in many places may still be frozen until March or April. If seeds are sown directly without land preparation, the soil temperature will be low and cannot meet the requirements for seed germination, resulting in a decrease in the germination rate. In addition, the poor soil permeability affects the respiration of seeds, increasing the risk of seed rot and powdery seeds.

Therefore, land preparation is essential when planting corn in spring. In order to improve the quality of land preparation, it is recommended to carry out deep plowing and then rotary tillage 1 to 2 times. Usually the depth of deep plowing should be about 30 cm and the depth of rotary tillage should be about 15 cm. Some farmers have found through experiments that the yield difference between adjacent plots with deep plowing of 30 cm and rotary tillage of 15 cm can reach 10%.

Especially in clay soils, the effect of deep plowing is more obvious. In addition, for the Northeast and Inner Mongolia regions, deep plowing helps to increase ground temperature, promote soil activity, and facilitate seedling emergence and root growth.

2. Seed selection is crucial

High-quality seeds are the basis for ensuring healthy growth and high yield of corn. With the development of the Internet, some farmers saw in short videos that the corn yield per mu in some places exceeded 2,000 kilograms, so they bought seeds online, but failed to achieve the expected yield.

This may be because the selected variety was falsely advertised, or that although the variety is indeed high-yielding, it is not suitable for the local climate. For example, a variety suitable for the south may not be able to produce ears in the north, resulting in no yield. Therefore, you should be cautious when selecting seeds. It is recommended to purchase seeds at local agricultural supply stores. This can ensure that the selected varieties are suitable for local cultivation and are relatively guaranteed.

3. Importance of nutrient supply

Nutrient supply is essential throughout the growing period of corn. If there is insufficient nutrition, corn may have problems such as poor growth, short plants, and few ears, thus affecting the final yield. Therefore, fertilization also needs attention.

As the saying goes, "A good crop depends on fertilizer." Adequate fertilizer is the guarantee of high yield, but two points should be noted when applying fertilizer: First, the amount of fertilizer should be moderate. Too little fertilizer will lead to fertilizer deficiency, and too much fertilizer may cause fertilizer damage. Second, fertilization should be determined according to the specific needs of crops. Corn likes nitrogen and has a high demand for nitrogen fertilizer throughout the entire growing period. Therefore, the base fertilizer should be high-nitrogen compound fertilizer , but the application of phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer should not be ignored.

The base fertilizer can be high nitrogen, low phosphorus and medium potassium (such as 21-8-11, 26-10-15, etc.) or a compound fertilizer with high nitrogen, medium phosphorus and medium potassium (such as 24-12-12, 25-10-10, etc.). Under normal circumstances, 100 kg per mu is applied. If the soil is poor, it can be appropriately increased to 150 kg. If conditions permit, it is recommended to test the soil and apply fertilizer appropriately based on the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content in the soil.

4. Importance of sowing time

Planting time is critical to corn emergence. Some farmers, seeing that corn has sprouted in other places, are eager to sow it, but ignore the local climate conditions and soil moisture.

After corn is sown, the temperature of the soil 3-5 cm deep should reach 10-12℃, which is a suitable temperature for seed germination, while the temperature suitable for seedling growth needs to reach about 20℃. In addition, soil moisture should be maintained at around 70% to ensure smooth germination of seeds.

If you sow blindly and the local temperature is still below 10℃ or even only 5℃, the corn may not germinate normally. If there is another late spring cold snap, the emerging corn seedlings may also suffer frost damage. Therefore, the sowing time should be determined according to the specific local weather conditions, and it is best not to blindly follow the sowing time in other regions.

5. Influence of sowing depth

Planting depth also has an important impact on corn emergence and growth. Some farmers hired less-than-professional seeder operators when sowing, resulting in sowing too deep or too shallow.

Generally, the optimal sowing depth for corn is 3-5 cm. If the seeds are sown too deeply, they will consume more water and nutrients when they germinate, reducing the germination rate; if the seeds are sown too shallowly, they will be easily affected by the external environment and even be pecked by birds, resulting in a decrease in the germination rate and difficulty in rooting.

Therefore, it is recommended that farmers choose experienced seed drill operators and check the soil after sowing to ensure that the sowing depth is appropriate and make adjustments if necessary.

6. Effect of seeding density

Planting density also plays a key role in final yield. Some farmers believe that the denser the sowing, the more seedlings there are and the higher the yield, but this idea is wrong. Appropriate sowing density is the prerequisite for high yield.

Generally speaking, 4,000 to 4,500 corn grains are sown per acre. The specific number depends on the variety. Small-grain varieties can be planted relatively densely, while large-grain varieties should be planted sparsely. Usually, 3-4 kilograms of seeds are enough per acre. The sowing density should be flexibly adjusted according to the purchased varieties, soil fertility and local planting conditions.

Planting too densely will result in competition for water and nutrients between plants, increase the risk of pests and diseases, and may cause lodging. Therefore, reasonable sowing density is the key to ensuring high corn yield.

7. Weeding

When corn has 3 to 5 leaves, it is the best time to apply post-emergence herbicides . At this time, corn is most resistant to herbicides, and field weeds are at the 2 to 3 leaf stage and are most easily killed. Applying too early or too late may not only harm the corn seedlings, but may also fail to effectively kill the weeds.

The best weather conditions for applying herbicides are before 9-10 am or after 4-5 pm on a sunny day, with a temperature of 20-28 degrees and a humidity of 60-70%. Avoid applying at noon when the temperature is high and the light is strong to prevent pesticide damage. It is not advisable to apply pesticides before or after rain to avoid reducing the efficacy of the pesticides. It is also not advisable to apply pesticides during drought or excessive humidity.

Recommended formulations include combinations of nicosulfuron, atrazine, and mesotrione, or other formulations appropriate for local weed types. When applying, it should be used alone to avoid mixing with pesticides, fungicides, etc. When spraying, cover all ground and weeds to avoid missing any. Avoid using organophosphorus pesticides within 7 days before and after application.

8. Pest and disease control

During corn growth, insecticides and fungicides need to be applied to prevent and treat common pests and diseases. It is recommended to apply it once during the small trumpet stage and large trumpet stage of corn. During the small trumpet stage, biphenyls, thiamethoxam and hexathiapiprolin are applied, while during the large trumpet stage, thiamethoxam, chlorfenapyr, propiconazole and chlorfenapyr are used.

When applying the pesticide, urea water, potassium dihydrogen phosphate and foliar fertilizer containing zinc and boron can be added to supplement nutrients. At the same time, adding brassinolide can promote absorption and reduce phytotoxicity.

9. Control growth and prevent falling

Corn usually needs to be treated with growth control drugs 1-2 times at the 8-9 leaf stage to promote root development and enhance lodging resistance. The best time to apply growth-control drugs is in the early stage of corn jointing. Applying them too early or too late may affect the effect.

Commonly used growth-control drugs include chlormequat, chlormequat, chlortetracycline and paclobutrazol. When applying, focus on spraying the top to avoid over-spraying or missing sprays. If it rains within 4-6 hours after application and the rainfall is not heavy, there is no need to re-spray. If the rainfall is heavy or the weeds show no symptoms of poisoning, the amount of re-spraying should be halved.

In addition, proper zinc supplementation can promote corn growth and prevent problems caused by zinc deficiency. The key periods for zinc supplementation include before sowing, seedling stage, jointing stage and heading stage. If the soil is prone to zinc deficiency, the application of zinc fertilizer should be increased.

at last,