Corn Management Techniques and Methods

As a common coarse grain, corn not only occupies an important position in people's daily diet, but also has a wide range of applications in the fields of feed and industrial raw materials. With the improvement of living standards, people's pursuit of dietary balance and nutritional health has made corn increasingly popular. The corn planting area in our country is still very large. Let’s learn about corn management techniques and methods together.

1. Planting Preparation

Select corn varieties suitable for local climate and soil conditions, giving priority to disease resistance and lodging resistance. The seeds are screened, dried, and disinfected or coated with drugs to promote early germination and healthy growth.

2. Sowing and dense planting

The sowing period is determined based on the ground temperature being stable above 5 degrees Celsius. Reasonable density of planting is recommended, with a general spacing of 35-40 cm between plants to ensure light and air permeability in the field.

3. Seedling replacement and thinning

Replant or transplant areas where seedlings are missing in a timely manner, and ensure timely watering and soil covering after replanting. Remove weak or crowded seedlings to provide sufficient growth space for strong seedlings.

4. Scientific fertilization

The base fertilizer is mainly organic fertilizer , combined with an appropriate amount of compound fertilizer , and applied in one go. Apply appropriate amount of topdressing according to corn growth needs and soil fertility, and promote soil testing and formula fertilization technology.

5. Reasonable irrigation

Corn's water requirements vary at different growth stages. During the seedling stage, corn has a relatively low water demand. At this stage, corn has a high tolerance to drought but is more sensitive to waterlogging. Therefore, irrigation is usually not required during the seedling stage, especially in the rainy season, and more attention should be paid to drainage in the field to prevent excessive water from affecting the growth of seedlings. However, once corn enters its active growth period, its water requirements increase significantly. At this time, we should pay close attention to weather conditions, especially during periods of drought and little rain, timely irrigation becomes particularly important. Properly timed irrigation helps ensure that corn gets adequate water, promoting its healthy growth and development.

VI. Pest and disease control

1. Disease type

Corn large and small leaf spot disease: mainly affects corn leaves, and in severe cases it will spread to the leaf sheaths and bracts, causing leaf damage.

Corn smut: It attacks the corn ears and may cause mildew and decay, resulting in a significant reduction in yield.

Corn virus disease: affects the heart leaves of seedlings, causing their color to become lighter, hindering plant growth, and in severe cases can cause the yield to be halved or even completely lost.

Prevention and control measures:

Choose disease-resistant varieties: Give priority to corn varieties with disease-resistant properties, which is the basis for preventing diseases.

Seed disinfection: Disinfect seeds to reduce the initial source of infection of diseases.

Reasonable crop rotation: Implement a crop rotation system to avoid continuous cropping of the same crop and break the cycle of diseases.

Soil management: Deep tillage of the soil after harvest can help reduce the survival of pathogens in the soil.

Chemical control : When necessary, use chemical pesticides reasonably for disease control, and pay attention to rotating pesticides to avoid the development of drug resistance.

2. Pest type

Cutworms: They eat corn seedlings, causing damage to the plants.

White grubs and wireworms: damage the root system of corn and affect the plant's absorption of water and nutrients.

Mole crickets and thrips: harm corn stems and leaves, reducing photosynthesis efficiency.

Corn borer, corn aphid, and gray planthopper: directly damage corn husks, causing mildew and withering.

Prevention and control measures:

Deep tillage of the soil: Deep tillage in spring and autumn can destroy the overwintering environment of pests.

Weed removal: Clear weeds from the field before sowing to reduce hiding places for pests.

Reasonable crop rotation: Implement a crop rotation system to avoid continuous cropping and reduce the chances of pest reproduction.

Use well-rotted farmyard manure: Make sure the manure is well-rotted to avoid attracting pests.

Biological control: Use natural enemies of pests, such as birds and insects, for natural control.

Physical control: Use physical methods such as insect traps and sticky insect boards to lure and kill pests.

Chemical control: During the peak pest season, use chemical pesticides for control in a timely manner, and pay attention to selecting agents that have less impact on the environment and non-target organisms.

7. Harvest and Processing

Harvest when more than 90% of the stems and leaves of the corn plants turn yellow to ensure that the grains are stored in the warehouse. After harvesting, the seeds are dried until the moisture content drops to about 15%, and then threshed and stored.

In general, corn planting and management is a systematic project involving multiple links such as seed selection, soil treatment, sowing, fertilization, irrigation, pest and disease control, etc. Through scientific management and careful care, the yield and quality of corn can be effectively improved.