Key Field Management Techniques for High-Yield Corn
Corn is grown very widely in China and is one of the most common food crops in the country. After corn enters the tasseling stage, it enters a phase of rapid growth and development. This stage is when corn has the largest and most numerous leaves, and it is also the best period for determining the weight of the kernels. The growth and development during this period determine the final yield and quality. Therefore, in order to strive for high yield, field management at this stage must be strengthened.
1. Water at the Right Time
The heading stage of corn is the stage with the highest water consumption during the entire growth period, accounting for 35 percent of the whole growing season. The tasseling stage is the critical period when corn's water demand changes. If the water required by corn during the heading stage is not met, drought and water shortage will cause a large reduction in corn yield, and in severe cases even a total loss. This has an enormous impact on the final yield of corn. If the soil is too dry, water promptly to avoid reduced yield caused by water shortage.
2. Topdress at the Right Time
The heading stage of corn is not only the period of greatest water demand, but also the period of greatest and strongest fertilizer demand during the entire growth period. However, fertilizer should also be applied appropriately according to the growth condition of the corn. For example, for corn with plump, well-filled kernels, an appropriate amount of nitrogen fertilizer is generally applied at silking. Because the quality has already reached the target, applying nitrogen fertilizer aims to promote the seed-setting rate of corn and increase the weight of the kernels.
3. Cultivating and Earthing Up
The purpose of cultivating is to enhance the ventilation and air permeability of the soil, while also addressing the supply of fertilizer and water and clearing weeds in the field, promoting the growth and development of the corn roots. Earthing up is done to increase the corn's aerial roots. Cultivating and earthing up can improve the corn's lodging resistance, because in autumn, when there is relatively more wind, lodging of corn is very common. Therefore, after topdressing the corn, cultivate and earth up as soon as possible to strengthen the corn's lodging resistance.
4. Harvest at the Right Time, Slightly Late
Corn can be harvested at an appropriately later time; it does not need to be harvested immediately upon maturity, because a later harvest ensures sufficient time for the kernels to fill. Kernel filling in corn is a measure that increases kernel weight, raises yield, and improves quality. Harvest during the stage when corn is fully mature around the Beginning of Autumn. When the husks are found to have turned white, dried up, and so on, it indicates that the kernels are fully mature, and this is the period when kernel weight is at its highest. Experiments have shown that for every three days the harvest is delayed, the thousand-kernel weight increases by about ten grams. And it requires no cost at all.
The tasseling stage of corn is the most important period for corn. Doing a good job of field management during the tasseling stage of corn is the prerequisite for ensuring high corn yield, and it is necessary to ensure the fertilizer and water required by corn at this stage. Of course, pests and diseases must also be controlled; common pests and diseases include stalk rot, aphids, and so on. If pests and diseases are well controlled, high corn yield will be even more assured.