Timely late harvest of corn can increase yield; what are the precautions

    At present, corn is in the late growth stage and will enter the maturity stage. A timely late harvest of corn can extend the grain-filling period, increase the 1000-grain weight, raise yield and quality, and achieve higher corn production, higher farmer income, and greater agricultural efficiency. Precautions for timely late harvest of corn:

Corn harvest

    1. Farmers habitually regard yellowing of the corn husks as a sign of corn maturity, but this is extremely inaccurate. Harvesting at this time will reduce yield by about 10%. The true sign of maturity is that the kernels become hard, the milk line of the corn kernel filling moves to the base of the kernel and completely disappears, and a black layer forms at the base of the kernel. The kernels show the inherent color and characteristics of the corn variety, and the ear and husks become dry, loose, and white.

    2. Only when corn is fully mature is the grain weight the greatest and the yield the highest. The current widespread use of agricultural machinery has greatly shortened the time from clearing the corn field to sowing wheat, and in normal years, appropriately delaying the corn harvest period does not affect wheat planting. According to local production conditions, harvesting can generally be delayed to October 5-October 10, while wheat is sown around October 15, ensuring a full-year bumper harvest of both wheat and corn.

 
    3. The longer the corn filling period and the greater the filling intensity, the higher the corn yield. Therefore, extending the filling period in the late growth stage of corn is an important way to increase yield. From the dough stage to the full-ripening stage of corn, for each day the harvest is delayed, the 1000-grain weight increases by 3-4 grams and the yield per mu increases by 5-7 kg. If calculated as a 10-day delay in harvest, the grain-filling period can be extended to more than 50 days, and the yield increase per mu can reach more than 50 kg. In addition, corn kernels from a delayed harvest are plump and uniform, with fewer small and shriveled kernels, lower kernel moisture content, high protein content, and good marketability, and they are also easier to thresh and store.

    4. After harvest, do not stack the corn; promptly remove the husks manually or with a corn husker. Choose sunny weather and promptly thresh and dry the corn, preferably drying it until the corn moisture content is below 14%.