Thanks to the intensive development of poultry and pig farming, corn is grown in large volumes in our country. At the same time, in addition to fodder, there are a large number of cereal varieties that are cultivated for use as human food. They are distinguished by more delicate grains and taste.
Such varieties are grown both in personal plots and in dachas. Today, only one type of cereal is cultivated - sweet corn.A large number of varieties and hybrids of this species have been developed, suitable for both large-scale cultivation and small private farms.
Farmers and gardeners who decide to plant a crop on their farm would do well to study how corn grows and what difficulties can be encountered when growing it.
Soil preparation
Corn agricultural technology includes soil cultivation, application of organic and mineral fertilizers, selection and preparation of seed material, sowing, plant care and harvesting.
Choosing the right site before planting corn is important. The culture grows well on chernozem, loamy and sandy loam soil with good aeration and water permeability.
Corn is a light- and heat-loving plant, so a well-lit area protected from the wind is suitable for it. When choosing a site, it is important to take into account that it grows poorly in overly wet lowlands and wetlands. It is better to choose a flat or elevated area.
Corn absorbs a large amount of nutrients from the soil, so to maintain its fertility, it is important to observe crop rotation and not cultivate the crop in the same place for 2 years in a row.
Growing corn in open ground begins with selecting and preparing the soil.
Preparing the site before planting corn begins with harvesting predecessors. Before wintering, the soil is fertilized by adding 20-30 kg of humus, 0.3 kg of superphosphate, 0.08-0.1 kg of potassium salts for every 10 m². Fertilizers are applied under plowing, the depth of which should be at least 25 cm, and preferably 30-35 cm.
In the spring, when the top layer of arable land begins to dry out, the area is loosened to the depth of seed placement (5-8 cm). You can use a harrow or rake.This technique will improve soil aeration, retain moisture in it, and accelerate seed germination.
Loosening is carried out diagonally to the direction of the arable land. If the area is abundantly overgrown with weeds, 2 cultivations will be required in the plowed land: the first is preliminary, to a depth of 8-10 cm, the second is pre-sowing, to the depth of seed placement.
When the soil warms up to +10 °C to a depth of 10-12 cm, a week before sowing, mineral preparations are added to the soil: 0.15-0.2 kg of nitrogen fertilizer per 10 m². Loosen it to a depth of 8-10 cm and level it.
Growing from seed
Growing the crop is possible in 2 ways: sowing directly in open ground or through seedlings, followed by planting on a personal plot. Each method has advantages and disadvantages.
Growing corn without seedlings does not allow you to get an early harvest, but caring for the plantings is much easier. Plants in this case are more resistant to unfavorable environmental conditions.
Preparing grains for sowing
When choosing seed, you should take into account the purpose of growing the crop. All hybrids and varieties are divided for cultivation for grain and consumption. The yield, taste and characteristics of growing corn depend on this.
For sowing, seeds of classes I and II are used, the germination rate of which is not lower than 92%.
Pre-sowing grain treatment includes sorting, calibration, and chemical treatment of seeds. The grains are calibrated to obtain more uniform shoots. Sorting is carried out to reject seeds with defects. Dressing protects seed material from pests and diseases. All these procedures are carried out at special enterprises.
To improve germination, 7 days before sowing, grains are subjected to air-heat treatment at +25...+35 °C and good ventilation.2-3 days before sowing, the seed material is washed. During the process, unsuitable seeds float to the surface and are removed. High-quality grain is wrapped in gauze, filled with water at room temperature and kept until germination.
1 more way preparing corn seeds for sowing: They are kept in the sun for 5 days, and before planting they are soaked in warm water (+45 ° C) for 1-1.5 hours. The grains are then dried naturally.
Before planting, the seeds can be treated with Mercuran or Granosan against pests and various diseases.
The choice of varieties affects the sowing time. Corn for consumption on the cob, freezing and canning is sown in late April - mid-May, when the soil warms up to +12 ° C and the threat of frost disappears.
Subject to agricultural technology and suitable environmental conditions, seedlings should appear on the 12th day. For these purposes, early varieties are used. Corn for grain is classified as late corn. It is more resistant to adverse weather conditions.
Sowing technology
The technology for growing corn for grain involves 2 sowing methods: dotted and square-cluster.
The main method by which corn is grown in the fields is dotted. In this case, the crop is sown in rows with row spacing of at least 70 cm and a distance between plants of 20-25 cm.
In the fields, corn is sown using an SPC-6M seeder with a pneumatic disc-type sowing unit or SUPN-8 combined seeders, which can simultaneously apply mineral fertilizers along with the seeds.
Another sowing method is square nesting, in which the row spacing is 70x70 or 70x90 cm. In arid regions and on poor soils, corn is sown with row spacing of 70x140 cm. 1, 2 or 3 grains are placed in each nest hole.
After the seedlings appear, weak shoots can be pulled out. To plant corn in this way, SKNK-8 and SKNK-6 seeders with mechanical cell-disc sowing devices are used. More often this option is used when planting seedlings.
On a personal plot, corn is sown in rows with row spacing of 60 cm and a distance between plants of 40 cm.
Regardless of the chosen sowing method, you need to know how to carry out the work correctly. Maintaining row spacing makes it easier to care for plants and allows them to feed normally. The seeding depth is 6-8 cm. The soil should be well moistened and completely cover the grains.
Growing seedlings
Cultivation of corn is also possible using seedlings. At the same time, care becomes significantly more complicated, but it becomes possible to get a harvest as early as possible.
The seedling method is not suitable for use in large volumes due to high labor costs. In the conditions of a summer house or personal plot, it allows you to get the best results: good yield and high quality fruits.
Seeds for seedlings are sown at the same time as in open ground, after the same preparation. Humus or peat cups with a diameter of 12 cm are used as a substrate. This method will allow you to immediately grow seedlings isolated from each other, without diving, which will reduce the risk of damage to the root system. After all, corn does not tolerate this procedure well.
For planting, you can use cassettes divided into sections or containers. In this case, the shoots are kept in a container until the root system completely fills it. The containers are filled with a mixture of turf substrate and humus or compost in a 1:1 ratio. To increase moisture capacity, hydrogel is introduced into the soil.
Seed placement depth: 3-4 cm, 2 pcs. in 1 hole.After planting, the substrate is moistened with a warm solution of Fundazol (4 g of product per 10 liters of water).
During the growing period, Polyfidom, Terraflex, Master, Kemiru-hydro or other fertilizers are applied; seedlings in the greenhouse require additional lighting with fluorescent or phytolamps. A week before planting, seedlings are hardened off in the fresh air.
After germination of the seedlings, the sprouts are planted in open ground after 30 days. It's mid-June. At this point, the seedlings should have at least 3 leaves. In this case, the square-cluster planting method is chosen. The depth of the hole should be slightly larger than the clod of earth with the roots of the plant. After planting, the sprouts are watered and mulched.
Features of care
Caring for corn crops comes down to regular watering, fertilizing and protection from pests and diseases.
Depending on the purpose for which corn is planted, the cultivation features differ.
The best predecessors for it are winter and spring grains, leguminous crops, vegetables (early cabbage, tomatoes, melons, root vegetables).
Watering
The irrigation regime depends on agroclimatic conditions and the stage of plant development. During the growing season, corn uses moisture unevenly. Critical stages of development when corn requires 2-4 liters of water per day:
- Stage 9-11 leaves. This is a period of active growth of green mass and formation of the root system. Do not water the corn until 9 leaves appear.
- Corn flowering - the period begins 10 days before panicle and ends 20 days after the panicle opens. If there is a lack of moisture during this period, the yield can decrease by 50%.
- Stage of grain formation.
- The period of milky ripeness of grain.
If the crop is grown in a dotted manner, drip irrigation is optimal, which allows maintaining soil moisture optimal for corn - 70-80%.
Modern hybrids are more drought-resistant and recover faster from stressful periods. If a crop is grown on highly fertile soils, its water requirement is lower, so the amount of watering can be reduced.
What to feed?
Fertilizers are applied at a given period - the ripening period of corn. The first time - at the stage of formation of 3-4 leaves, organic fertilizer is applied: a solution of mullein or chicken droppings.
The second time feeding is done at the stage of panicle sweeping. At this stage of corn cultivation, mineral fertilizers are applied at the roots per hundred square meters: ammonium nitrate - 2 kg, superphosphate - 3-5 kg, potassium salt - 1-2 kg.
Particularly at this stage, potassium and phosphorus play an important role. The deficiency of these elements can be determined by the color of corn silks and leaves. They lighten and acquire a yellow tint. Elements such as magnesium, sulfur, zinc and calcium are important for the culture. Copper and zinc, if necessary, are added in a phase of 5-8 leaves mixed with urea at the rate of 10 kg per 200 liters.
Mineral preparations are added to the soil by spraying. In particular, 2-3 weeks before the appearance of panicles, irrigating plants with a urea solution is effective.
Diseases and pests
Fungal diseases are the most dangerous for corn; growing the crop requires the prevention of various grain infections.
Fusarium is one of the most common mycoses, caused by various species of fungi of the genus Fusarium. The danger of this pathogen is that as a result of its vital activity, toxins that are dangerous to people and animals accumulate in plant tissues.
The fungus attacks cobs, stems, and young shoots, reducing yields by up to 60%. Fusarium cob disease appears at the stage of milky-waxy grain ripeness and is accompanied by the appearance of a pink coating. Subsequently, the grains darken and collapse.
Even healthy kernels from an infected cob are carriers of fungal spores. When young stems are damaged, corn does not have enough vitality for development, and the shoots die or do not produce a harvest. In adult plants, stem rot may develop, which is accompanied by softening and subsequent destruction of the stems. In this case, the corn is in danger of dying.
High soil acidity, high humidity and low air temperature, excessive crop density, and poor soil aeration contribute to the spread of the disease.
Rust is another mycosis of cereals. The pathogen becomes active in the second half of summer. Light yellow spots form on the underside of the leaf, which eventually turn brown and become covered with pustules containing fungal spores.
With a high degree of infection, the stem also suffers. In this case, the plants may dry out or lose about 20% of their productivity.
Bladder smut is a common fungal disease of corn, which is accompanied by the appearance of new growths - galls on leaves and cobs, and sometimes on stems and panicles. Prolonged drought contributes to the appearance of the disease.
After ripening, the galls fall off and infect the soil, which contributes to the spread of the disease; growing the crop in this field in the future only makes sense if resistant hybrids are selected.
To prevent diseases, grain is treated with fungicides before sowing.
The causative agent of the disease northern helminthosporiosis or necrosis is a symbiosis of chlamydospores and fungal mycelium. Due to infection, fusiform gray spots with a black border and a coating resembling soot appear on the leaves. Over time, the affected leaves die. The development of the disease coincides with the beginning of flowering. High humidity promotes infection.
The most common corn pests:
- Wireworms are the larvae of click beetles. Pests often appear in irrigated fields and during periods of high humidity. The roots are eaten up. Capable of destroying up to 90% of crops.
- Armyworm larvae. There are a large number of varieties of pests. Caterpillars eat cotyledon leaves and young shoots.
Various insecticides are used to protect crops. Prevention is through high-quality agricultural technology: compliance with crop rotation, deep plowing before wintering, spring cultivation.
