Should lodged corn be stood back up? This depends on the growth stage of the corn. If lodging occurs at the seedling stage or before jointing, generally speaking, as long as the lodging is not especially severe, it does not need to be stood back up. However, if lodging occurs after jointing or at the late tasseling stage, it should still be stood back up as much as possible.

Corn lodging is a common problem in agricultural production. Improper cultivation practices, weak lodging resistance of varieties, and field pests and diseases can all lead to large-scale lodging when field corn is hit by wind and rain disasters. A key criterion for whether to stand lodged corn back up is whether the lodging will cause irreparable damage to the corn. If the corn will suffer permanent damage when it is not stood back up, then it is necessary to stand it back up; otherwise, there is no need to do so.

Stage before tasseling

Corn can also lodge at this stage, and the jointing stage is when it is relatively severe. At this time the plants are already relatively tall, and lodging damage can still occur in stormy weather. Corn at this stage generally has a relatively fragile base, and if it is forcefully stood back up after lodging, the base may break. The loss may outweigh the gain.

In addition, at this stage the aboveground part of the corn is still relatively light. If the lodging of the plants is not especially severe (the angle with the ground is greater than 45 degrees), there is no need to stand them back up, and soil should be hilled up around the base of the corn plants to prevent a second lodging.

After tasseling

Generally, after tasseling, corn completes fertilization, and the weight of the ear becomes greater and greater. At this time, after corn lodges, because the ear bears a relatively large weight, the plant has already lost the possibility of recovering upright on its own. Of course, for slight lodging, for example, if the angle between the corn plant and the ground is greater than 60 degrees, there is absolutely no need to stand it back up. After all, even if corn cannot recover upright at this angle of inclination, the impact on photosynthesis and on later reproductive growth and ear development is not great.

However, if the angle between the corn plant and the ground is less than 60 degrees, then it is necessary to stand it back up. After all, as the ear develops, the weight borne by the plant will become greater and greater, and in the later period the degree of lodging may become more and more severe, thereby affecting yield.

The above analysis is only based on general experience and does not mean it must be followed exactly. Sometimes whether to stand corn back up or not is ambiguous, but what is certain is that once corn lodges, it will inevitably affect yield. Therefore, in field management of corn, controlling excessive growth and promoting the growth and development of roots and stems are issues we need to pay attention to.

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