Sweet corn planting technology and management methods

Sweet corn is a type of edible corn. It is rich in nutrients and is loved by consumers. With the widespread application of sweet corn planting technology , it has not only improved the economic benefits of the planting industry, but also increased farmers' income. Let's talk about the planting technology and management methods of sweet corn.

1. Planting technology

1. Variety selection

It is necessary to choose good varieties with stronger resistance, wider adaptability and higher yield than ordinary corn. When choosing varieties, you should also choose suitable sweet corn varieties based on local climate, soil conditions and market demand. If you want to make sweet corn for processing, it is more appropriate to choose ordinary sweet corn varieties; if you want to use sweet corn as fruit, it is better to choose super sweet corn varieties; if you want to use sweet corn as vegetable , it is better to choose multi-ear sweet corn varieties.

2. Isolation planting

Sweet corn should be planted separately from regular corn or other types of corn to prevent cross-pollination. There are generally two isolation methods: spatial isolation and temporal isolation. Spatial isolation usually requires more than 400 meters, that is, within 400 meters around the sweet corn planting area, ordinary corn or other types of corn that bloom at the same time as sweet corn cannot be planted. If there are natural barriers such as forests, hills and roads, the isolation distance can be appropriately shortened. If time isolation is used, the flowering and pollen shedding periods will differ by more than one month.

3. Adjust the sowing period

Sweet corn is mainly harvested for its fresh and tender ears. The harvest is concentrated and highly seasonal, and it will be on the market within a short time. If large-scale one-time sowing does not bring crops to market in time or is difficult to process, effective measures must be taken to adjust the harvest time. Long-term adjustments depend on varieties, and short-term adjustments depend on sowing periods. In other words, varieties with different growth periods can solve large-scale time adjustments, and staggered sowing of the same variety can achieve short-term adjustments.

4. Sow seeds at the right time

Sweet corn seeds have a low dry matter content, especially super sweet corn, which has weak and poor germination and soil-arching abilities, and has high requirements for soil moisture and temperature. If the soil temperature is too low, it will easily cause seed rot and the appearance of type three seedlings. When sowing, the suitable soil moisture content is 65% to 70% of the maximum water holding capacity. For super sweet corn, sowing it when the soil temperature near the ground is stable at above 12℃ can ensure normal germination. For ordinary sweet corn, the required soil temperature can be slightly lower. In addition, sweet corn has poor soil-arching ability, so the covering soil should not be too thick, usually 3 to 5 cm is more appropriate. Sweet corn is grown for its cobs, so attention must be paid to the commodity characteristics of the cobs and not just the yield. The planting density depends on the fertility of the soil and the characteristics of the variety. For varieties with compact plants and early-maturing short stature, dense planting is more suitable; for varieties with flat plants and late-maturing tall stature, sparse planting is more suitable. If the soil is fertile and has sufficient water, the planting can be appropriately dense; otherwise, the planting should be sparse. The planting density of sweet corn is usually within 55,000 plants per hectare.

5. Fertilization

Because sweet corn has a short growing period, it develops faster in the early stage and has a short growth time in the later stage. Fertilization principles: Base fertilizer should be mainly farmyard manure, and base fertilizer should be applied heavily. Topdressing should be applied early and used in conjunction with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Using farmyard manure as base fertilizer can promote early growth and rapid development of sweet corn. The complete nutrition provided by farmyard manure can greatly improve the quality of sweet corn and enhance its resistance to drought, waterlogging and disease. Usually, 75,000 kg of farmyard manure and base fertilizer can be applied per hectare of soil with medium to high fertility. 150-225 kg of diammonium phosphate and 112.50 kg of potassium sulfate can be applied per hectare as seed fertilizer, and 375 kg of ammonium nitrate can be applied per hectare as topdressing. This can meet the fertilizer needs of sweet corn throughout the entire growing period, and it can also be applied once without additional fertilizer. Top dressing should be applied within 10 to 15 cm around the plants, with deep application in holes and combined with tillage and weeding.

2. Field Management

1. Check seedlings, supplement seedlings, thin out and determine seedlings

After the seedlings emerge, they should be checked and supplemented in time; thinning should be done when the seedlings have 3 to 4 leaves, and transplanting should be done when the seedlings have 4 to 5 leaves. The principle of thinning out seedlings is to remove the large ones, remove the small ones, and leave the middle ones to ensure that the seedlings in the whole field are uniform.

2. Pay attention to topdressing and timely tillage

Usually, about 1,000 kg of organic fertilizer or soil fertilizer, 30 kg of urea (7.5 kg each in the seedling stage and jointing stage, 15 kg in the flaring stage), and 5 to 7 kg of potassium chloride are applied per mu. Potassium fertilizer and organic fertilizer or soil fertilizer can be applied at one time in the seedling stage. It is best to apply topdressing fertilizer deep in the holes and cover the soil in time after application. After each topdressing, inter-cultivation and weeding should be carried out. When tilling, attention should be paid to leveling, breaking up, loosening and not damaging the seedlings.

3. Intertillage and weeding

During the entire growing period of sweet corn, it is necessary to combine watering and fertilizing, tillage and weeding 1 to 2 times, raise the soil and build up the roots to prevent lodging and promote the healthy growth of seedlings.

4. Artificial assisted pollination and emasculation

Artificial assisted pollination during the pollination period can make the grains plump. If there is continuous rain during the pollination period, artificial assisted pollination should be strengthened. In order to reduce nutrient consumption, all male spikes can be cut off after pollination.

3. Pest and disease control

1. Dwarf mosaic disease

In the early stage of the disease, you can use 500 times diluted virus A, 100 times diluted 83 resistance enhancer, or 300 times diluted plant disease killer + penshibao to spray the seedlings, which will have a better effect.

Controlling aphids can effectively reduce the incidence of dwarf mosaic disease. Anti-aphid carbendazim, aphid-repellent mist and other agents can be used to control aphids. When the symptoms are obvious or severe, the diseased plants can be pulled out and taken out of the field for deep burial or burning.

2. Ustilago

Before sowing, after the seeds have been fully dried, they can be mixed with 0.2% copper sulfate, which has a more significant control effect; at the 4-5 leaf stage, 800 times diluted thiophanate-methyl can be used and sprayed every seven days for control: about ten days before tasseling, 500-800 times diluted 50% mancozeb wettable powder can be used for spraying; at the heading stage, 0.1% of spray-mixing agent can be used for control. In addition, because sweet corn has a high sugar content and is very sweet, it is easily attacked by underground pests . When sowing, you can mix the seeds with 3% furfural potassium granules. The strange smell it emits is very effective in preventing and controlling underground pests. When sweet corn is infected with leaf spot, rust, aphids and other diseases and pests, the prevention and control methods for ordinary corn can also be used for prevention and control.

4. Harvest

Sweet corn is mainly eaten fresh, and the key to ensuring its quality is to harvest it at the right time. The harvest period is closely related to the type of variety, the length of the growing period, and the climatic conditions of the year. Fresh corn ears harvested at the right time are sweet, fragrant and delicious, sticky and have high yield. If harvested too early, the grains are not fully filled and too few nutrients are accumulated; if harvested too late, most of the soluble sugars and water-soluble polysaccharides in the grains are converted into starch, which greatly reduces the sweetness of the grains, the peel becomes thicker, and the unique flavor of sweet corn is lost. Therefore, it is necessary to harvest at the right time and in accordance with local actual conditions.

That’s it