How to fertilize summer corn during the critical sowing period to achieve high yields

    The critical period for sowing summer corn is approaching. Based on the problems commonly seen in corn fertilization over the years, pay attention to the following when fertilizing this year:

Corn fertilization

    1. Avoid excessive fertilizer application:Some farmers apply up to 50 kg per mu, or even more, which causes fertilizer waste, reduces corn quality, and pollutes the soil. Improving corn yield and quality depends not only on the amount of fertilizer applied, but also on improving fertilization methods and fertilizer use efficiency. 

    2. Avoid using a single fertilizer type:Some farmers apply only urea to summer corn. Although this supplies nitrogen, the corn and soil still lack nutrients such as phosphorus and potassium. As a result, the number of kernels per ear still decreases, the 1000-kernel weight drops, yield declines, lodging resistance is poor, disease and pest resistance weakens, and the crop is prone to diseases and pests. 

    3. Avoid applying too much early and too little late:Applying too much fertilizer early and too little late results in low fertilizer use efficiency. With sufficient fertilizer early on, the corn grows well but becomes overly vigorous, the field becomes crowded and closed in, the reproductive growth stage is delayed, and later growth is poor, even to the point of nutrient deficiency, resulting in relatively low corn yield. 

    4. Avoid improper application of seed fertilizer:First, the amount of seed fertilizer applied is too large, exceeding 7.5 kg per mu. Second, the fertilizer used is inappropriate; seed fertilizer should use granular fertilizers such as nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer and diammonium phosphate. Third, the seeding machinery is a cause: when the horizontal distance between the seeding band and the fertilizer band is less than 5 cm, it causes seedling burn. The distance between corn seeds and fertilizer should exceed 10 cm.

   In addition, supplement with trace element fertilizers such as zinc fertilizer to increase corn yield.