Why Are Corn Leaves Curling? Latest Cause Analysis
Corn is grown in all parts of our country, and when growing corn, many problems are often encountered, causing a very large impact on the growth of corn. And leaf curling is one of them. Corn leaf curling will cause the photosynthesis of corn to be blocked, reducing the yield and quality of corn. So what exactly is going on with corn leaf curling? Today the editor will give you a brief introduction. Let's take a look below!
1. High temperature and insufficient fertilizer and water
Different corn varieties have different requirements for the growing environment, and their adaptability also varies. And the proportion of corn heart leaf curling will therefore differ greatly. Around May each year, because the temperature difference between day and night is very large, leaf differentiation will be affected. This causes the plant's fifth and sixth leaves to begin curling. And if potassium is insufficient in the field, it will reduce the stress resistance of the corn plant, and will likewise cause corn leaves to curl. Usually, improving soil moisture, promoting recovery during the rainy season or after watering, and spraying foliar fertilizer can speed up its recovery.
2. Causes of pesticide damage
During the growth process of corn, pesticides need to be used reasonably to control diseases and pests. However, care must be taken to control the dosage and type. For example, when using herbicides such as nicosulfuron, if the corn seedlings have fewer than three leaves or more than five leaves, or if it is used in a high-temperature environment, or if the dosage is too large, it is easy to cause pesticide damage to corn, thereby causing corn leaves to curl, wrinkle, and so on. In severe cases, it will cause the heart leaf to rot. If the symptoms are mild, it can recover naturally; if severe, the heart leaf should be cut open manually in time. For fields with pesticide damage, fertilizer and water should be appropriately applied and foliar fertilizer sprayed to promote plant recovery.
3. Causes of insect pests
Insect pests are also a main cause of corn leaf curling. Among them, common pests include thrips and others. Thrips generally cause damage when corn seedlings have about 4 leaves. After corn seedlings are damaged by thrips, upon observing the leaves, spots can be found, and the spots gradually lose their green color. If the new leaves are peeled open, thrips can be seen moving around. At this time, we can use pesticides such as nitenpyram and spinetoram for spraying control. The main focus is on the heart leaf and the back of the leaf. If the leaf curling phenomenon is severe, then the twisted heart leaf should be peeled off manually.
4. Caused by top rot
Top rot is also one of the causes of corn leaf curling. It can occur throughout the entire growth period of corn. The outermost layer of the heart leaf will wrap around the inner heart leaf of the plant, causing it to be unable to unfold and resulting in deformities, leaf curling, and so on. Observing the base, rot can also be found, so doing a good job in preventing and controlling top rot is also a main measure to prevent corn leaf curling. Among them, pesticides such as metalaxyl and carbendazim can be used for control, and an appropriate amount of zinc fertilizer can be added at the same time to enhance the disease resistance of the plant.
The above is a brief introduction to what is going on with corn leaf curling. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!