Controlling excessive growth in corn can both prevent lodging and increase yield

Corn growth control should be a topic of concern for farmer friends recently. Controlling excessive growth in corn has many benefits for corn, which will be introduced in detail below. However, one thing to say first is that growth control must be scientific, otherwise it may produce the opposite effect.

Why should corn be controlled for excessive growth?

I believe many friends will ask this question. This is actually related to the growth of corn, and is also caused by the fact that the corn fertilization methods generally used by farmers at present are not scientific enough. Everyone knows that corn is a fertilizer-loving crop and needs multiple topdressings during the growing period to increase corn yield and quality.

However, because people are relatively busy now and somewhat unable to devote enough effort to farming, they often adopt a planting method of sowing and fertilizing at the same time, which is what we often call the "one-shot" planting method. Although this planting method saves the trouble of three topdressings during the corn growing period, it also causes relatively high fertility in the early stage of corn growth, making it easy for corn seedlings to grow too fast and even become leggy.

According to the normal growth conditions of corn, not much fertilizer is needed in the early stage. In the middle stage of corn growth, soil fertility gradually declines, but this is also the period when corn has a high fertilizer demand, so it is easy to cause poor corn growth, underdeveloped roots, and susceptibility to lodging. Especially in the later stage, it will cause incomplete kernel filling and affect corn yield. However, if controlled-release fertilizers with good fertility are selected, these situations can be alleviated to a certain extent.

In addition to choosing slow-release fertilizer, the most important point is correct growth control.

Many friends can probably understand one or two points about the effects of corn growth control. Reasonable chemical control can produce the effect of "controlling the top and promoting the bottom" in corn. Specifically, it means controlling excessive vegetative growth of corn. When corn grows to 8 to 10 leaves, it is the best period for growth control, that is, when the corn is about knee-high.

Because the weather during this period is relatively hot and rainy, corn is very prone to leggy growth. Timely spraying of growth-control chemicals can control the upward growth rate of corn, help corn stalks become thicker, and make corn grow horizontally. This can play a very good role in preventing corn lodging.

More importantly, controlling excessive growth in corn can make the roots grow better and the roots' grip on the soil stronger. In addition, light penetration between corn plants is enhanced and ventilation is better, which helps corn set kernels better and reduces the occurrence of bare tips in corn.

Selection of growth control timing

However, the most important thing in corn growth control is the grasp of timing. Once the timing is wrong, it will not only fail to produce a good growth-control effect, but will instead affect corn kernel setting and lodging resistance. The best time for corn growth control is when corn grows to 8 to 10 leaves. During this period, growth control should be carried out promptly.

Controlling growth too early will affect corn growth, and the stalks will become shorter. If it is too late, that is, when growth control is carried out after corn has grown 12 leaves, it will even cause uneven growth in the length of corn stalks, with the lower stalks too long and the middle too short, which instead makes corn more prone to lodging. In severe cases, it will also cause failure of corn tassel differentiation, making it unable to shed pollen, thus affecting corn yield.

The above comes from Science Agriculture.