What causes deformed corn? Latest analysis

Corn deformities can have a huge impact on corn quality and yield, and also cause considerable harm to farmers' economic interests. Corn deformities include bare-tip ears, missing-kernel ears, empty ears, bouquet ears and so on, fifteen types of deformity. Many friends feel they take good care of their crop, but do not know why these problems still appear. Nor do they know the specific causes of the deformities. Below, let us explain the causes of corn deformities!

1. Drought

Drought is one of the main causes of corn deformities. In excessively dry or continuously dry weather, farmers fail to do timely watering work. This causes a lack of moisture in the soil and air, rapidly reducing the water content in the soil, while the corn cannot absorb enough water, greatly affecting the absorption and transport of nutrients within the corn plant. This prevents the kernels from absorbing nutrients in a balanced and even way, resulting in deformities. Moreover, drought not only affects the development of the above-ground corn plant, but also inhibits the extension and development of the corn roots, further worsening the corn's absorption system and transport capacity, and causing deformities.

2. High temperature

Continuously high temperatures affect the photosynthesis of corn, weakening its intensity, reducing the accumulation of dry matter in the corn plant. High temperatures also force corn to speed up various reactions during growth and development, shortening each growth stage and completing it ahead of time. This leads to fewer female ears and smaller ears, reduced numbers, and lower pollen vitality, preventing the tassels from flowering and affecting the later pollination and fertilization process. Blocked pollination prevents the corn from setting kernels normally, resulting in deformities.

3. Fertilizer deficiency

Corn has strong growth capacity and requires a relatively large amount of fertilizer. Its nutritional needs cannot be single but are fairly comprehensive. If during growth it lacks fertilizer or lacks some other nutrient it needs, such as light, especially during the ear expansion stage and flowering stage, the lack of any single nutrient will ultimately cause deformities in corn and may also lead to problems such as pests and diseases. For example, a lack of nitrogen fertilizer may cause bare-tip ears, and a lack of phosphorus fertilizer may cause missing-kernel ears. So everyone must ensure sufficient nutrients for corn growth during cultivation.

4. Variety

Corn also has many varieties, and the growth conditions and yields of each variety differ greatly, so different varieties naturally produce different deformity rates. However, the reason for variety-related deformities is not due to genetic problems in themselves. For example, some corn varieties have very tight and short husk leaves, and in rainy weather they cannot effectively block rainwater, allowing rainwater to flow easily into the ear and causing ear sprouting. Of course, some are caused by genes, such as varieties with the sweet corn gene, which are more prone to deformities when encountering long periods of low temperature during the ear stage, forming barbell-like deformed corn.

The four points above are the main causes of corn deformities, though of course there are far more than these, such as pests and diseases, pesticide reasons and so on. In the final analysis, it is improper management that creates the possibility of these problems. So everyone must master a correct set of management methods during cultivation, giving corn a good growing environment, so as to effectively reduce the incidence of deformities.