Corn harvesting can be done in different ways. Grain crops are grown for silage or grain. And in both cases, the cleaning process has its own characteristics. The difference lies in the timing of harvesting, as well as in the choice of a combine harvester with special attachments. If agrotechnical methods for growing crops and rules for collecting finished products have been followed, then the quantity and quality of the harvest will please you.
Stages of corn ripeness
Corn harvesting is carried out at different times, which depend on the intended purpose of the crop. There are several stages of maturity of a grain crop:
- The stage of milk ripeness is distinguished by light whitish grains on the cob. They have a high sugar content. If you press on the seeds, a white, sweet juice will appear from them. They taste sweet, tender and juicy. The leaves tightly fit the cob, and it becomes difficult to separate them. The hairs are soft, moist, and brown at the base. It is better to harvest this type of corn by hand. It can be eaten both raw and boiled.
- The onset of the wax stage can be recognized by the light yellow color of the grains, inside of which there is no longer any liquid. They feel medium dense to the touch; if you press on the seeds, a dent remains on them. As it matures, the density increases. The amount of starch in grains increases. The sugar that is part of the grains begins to turn into starch, and the juice turns into pulp.
- Biological ripeness is distinguished by the rich yellow or orange color of the grains. The leaves surrounding the cob begin to turn yellow and dry out and are easy to separate. Hair becomes brown and dry. Corn at this stage of ripeness is harvested by a combine, and its main purpose is to make silage for herbivorous domestic animals.
During the grain formation stage, the moisture level is almost 90%. At the stage of milky ripeness, the level of grain moisture in the cobs is 58%; during the period of waxy ripeness, the moisture content of the seeds is about 37%. When corn is fully ripe, the grains become hard and the moisture content is no more than 25%.
How to grow corn?
General rules that will help you grow a good harvest.
| Air temperature | +12–25 degrees |
| The soil | Shouldn't be sour.Podzolic, peat and chernozem compositions with good aeration are best suited. |
| Predecessors | The best predecessors are cucumbers, potatoes, legumes, tomatoes, and onions. |
| Fertilizers | In the fall, it is recommended to apply potassium-phosphorus fertilizers and organic matter. The culture responds well to humus and compost. After unfolding 4 leaves, you can apply nitrogen fertilizing. Potassium and phosphorus are needed at all stages of development. |
| Watering | The crop needs abundant watering, especially during seed germination and cob formation. |
| Pests | Wireworm, meadow moth, cutworm, Swedish fly, root aphid. |
| Diseases | Rust, fusarium, powdery mildew, smut. |
Optimal timing recommended for harvesting corn from the field has been developed. If you follow them, there will be minimal losses and high quality of the harvest.
Yield losses in a corn field increase when harvested after frost and when air humidity rises. The grain gains moisture, the cobs become heavy, and as a result the stems rot and bend. Collecting such cobs using agricultural machinery becomes problematic.
Two main methods of harvesting:
- cutting the cobs, which may or may not be accompanied by peeling of the leaves;
- harvesting with simultaneous threshing of grain.
A mechanical unit for processing grain crops allows you to harvest the crop, thresh the cobs and chop the plants. For grain harvesting, combines are used (Khersonets, KOP-1, grain harvester with PPK-4 attachment). A header is also used in conjunction with this equipment. It differs from other units in that the device for processing stems and leaves is small in size. Corn is harvested for silage using silage harvesters.
How do you know when it's time to harvest?
The timing of harvest ripening depends on the variety, climatic and weather conditions. Corn is most often harvested in early August, by this time corn silk takes on a brown tint.
Certain signs will help you harvest corn for fresh consumption. If the stigma inside the leaf is still greenish in color and the outside is brown, then the corn is in the milky-waxy stage of development. If you lightly press the grain, a milky, sweet juice will appear from it. These cobs contain the maximum amount of nutrients; they can be eaten fresh or used for cooking.
If the grain crop is intended for the production of silage, then corn harvesting begins after the onset of waxy ripeness. In the southern regions of the country, this period coincides with the last days of August. In some areas, cleanup may continue into November. By this time, the moisture content of the green mass can exceed 70%. For popcorn, biological ripeness is expected, when the grains become hard.
If you intend to use corn as planting material, it is recommended to wait until the leaves turn completely yellow and dry. The harvested crop is placed in a cool place for a month until fully ripe. Once the grains are completely dry, they are transferred to a dry glass container.
If grains for planting are not collected before frost, they lose their germination capacity and the risk of developing fungal diseases increases. As a result, the nutritional value and quantity of the harvest decreases.
Harvesting corn for fresh consumption
When growing corn, there are several signs of when to harvest. The main thing here is to guess the onset of milk ripeness.Signs:
- The cobs deviate sideways from the stem. The leaves fit tightly to the cob and are green in color.
- The cobs that are closest to the top are harvested first. They are the ones who ripen faster.
- The hair should turn brown and become dry. If they are moist and reddish in color, then the stage of milk maturity has not yet arrived.
- The seeds should be white-yellowish in color. When you press on the grain, the juice should be white, not clear. If the juice has become thick and the color of the grains is dark yellow, then the stage of milk ripeness has been missed. Such seeds lose their juiciness and sweetness.
- The cob is easily separated from the stem by hand.
Since sugar quickly turns into starch, after harvesting the corn must be eaten, otherwise the taste and sweetness are lost. You can prolong the taste by placing the cobs in the refrigerator.
Grain crops are harvested on the cobs or with simultaneous threshing of the cobs. For fresh consumption, the procedure does not make sense.
How to harvest corn for popcorn?
To make popcorn, special varieties of popping corn are planted (Vulcan, Vnuchkina Radost, Oerlikon, Gostinets).
The harvest of corn for popcorn begins only after the onset of the biological stage of maturity. By this time, the leaves and stems become yellow, dry out, and the panicles acquire a dark brown tint.
It is imperative to harvest the crop before frost sets in, otherwise the harvested corn will not be suitable for making popcorn. It is better to tear the cobs from the stem by hand.
After harvesting grain corn, the cobs are cleared of leaves and distributed on a fabric surface in a warm, dry place with good ventilation. The cobs should remain partially moist inside.
To check the readiness of a grain crop for popcorn production, it is necessary to periodically heat several grains in a frying pan. If the seeds open completely, then all the cobs are ready. After this, the crop is moved to a cool place.
Harvesting corn cobs for grain
Corn is harvested for grain using special combine harvesters during the period of biological ripeness. At this point, the cob should contain at least 60% dry matter, and the grain should contain at least 70%. The higher the proportion of dry matter in the grain, the better. Corn varieties for grain: Spirit, Pioneer, Syngenta, Dobrynya, Trophy, Sundance.
You should not start harvesting if there is high humidity in the grains. At this time, the level of various impurities increases, and the commercial qualities of the products are lost.
When harvesting corn for grain, a number of agrotechnical requirements must be observed:
- Plants need to be cut at a distance of 15 cm from the ground;
- when harvesting with a grain combine, you need to ensure that no more than 5–7% of the grains on the cob are damaged;
- if special combines are used, the number of damaged grains should not exceed 1.5%.
As a result of harvesting with a combine, more than 90% of the cobs are already cleared of leaves.
Features of harvesting corn for silage
The most valuable is corn on the cob, which is harvested at the end of the milk stage or at the beginning of waxy ripeness, when the leaves are still green. These cobs contain many beneficial components for livestock. The moisture content in the grains is about 70%.
They begin to harvest corn using special equipment. The permissible dry matter content is 30%. Leaf moisture should be 68%, grain moisture 45–50%.The plant is mowed at a distance of 20 cm from the ground; all parts of the plant, including the grains, must be crushed. The size of the parts should not be larger than 7 mm.
The resulting silage in the form of well-compacted briquettes is placed in pre-prepared trenches. This will improve the quality of the product and increase its shelf life.
Nutritional value of corn seeds per 100 grams
100 g of corn seeds contain 360 kcal. Protein content 9 g, fat 5 g, carbohydrates 70 g, fiber 7 g. Nutrients include vitamins (B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E), micro- and macroelements (calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium) , amino acids (alanine, valine, methionine). In addition, the composition includes saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.
The appearance of the plant will tell you when it is best to harvest the corn. The leaves become light green, the edges dry out. The cobs are harvested selectively, as they do not all ripen at the same time. The collection lasts about two weeks. Don't harvest the cobs too early or too late.
Store corn maybe on the cob. The cobs should be kept in a cool, dark place where the air humidity is no more than 15%. The cobs are cleared of leaves, sorted and dried. The bulk of the harvested grains from dry cobs should be easily separated from the base.
It can also be stored in grain. With this storage method, you need to prepare plastic or glass containers, cardboard boxes or fabric bags in advance.
Seed corn should be stored in a cool place, protected from pests and diseases. If the grains are intended to be used as planting material, then it is better to collect the cobs by hand.
