When is the best time to spray foliar fertilizer on corn?
For corn, the best time to apply foliar fertilizer in the early growth stage is the 6-7 leaf stage, and in the later stage it is one week before the corn ear emerges. Among these, in clear weather it is suitable to spray foliar fertilizer before 10 a.m. and after 4-5 p.m., while on cloudy days it can be done all day. In addition, when applying foliar fertilizer to corn, pay attention to the following points.
Precautions for applying foliar fertilizer to corn:
1. Mixing of fertilizers
Adding an activator and mixing two or more fertilizers for spraying can improve fertilizer efficiency, and mixing fertilizers with pesticides can also improve work efficiency. But note that alkaline and acidic fertilizers and pesticides, as well as those that will react with each other, must not be mixed. Also add a small amount of activator to the fertilizer (a small amount of washing powder can be added) to reduce the surface tension of the fertilizer solution.
2. Dosage
The amount of spray solution for corn foliar fertilizer should be sufficient, and the number of applications should not be too few. For foliar fertilization, it is best when the fertilizer solution is about to run down from the leaf surface but has not yet run down. Generally, 45 kg of fertilizer solution is used per mu. Even when spraying a 1% urea solution, the amount used per mu is no more than 2 kg of urea, sprayed continuously 2-3 times, with an interval of 7-10 days.
3. Types
For foliar spraying of corn, fertilizer varieties such as urea, monopotassium phosphate, superphosphate, potassium sulfate, plant ash extract and some micro-fertilizers can be selected, and the effect as foliar fertilization is relatively good, while fertilizers containing chloride ions, those that are volatile and those that are poorly soluble, such as ammonium bicarbonate, ammonium chloride, and calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, etc., are not suitable for foliar fertilization.
But everyone should be reminded that not all regions can use the same types and amounts of foliar fertilizer; rather, it must be comprehensively considered according to factors such as the land, variety and weather.