What causes corn to branch

Corn always tends to branch when it emerges, and what is called corn branching is actually corn growing tillers. For crops in general, tillering is a good thing, and tillers also bear fruit, but corn is different: corn tillers do not form ears. So today I will explain why corn branches.

1. Variety selection

In fact, variety accounts for a fairly large share of the reasons for corn branching. Experts have shown through experiments that in the same area, when a series of management factors such as temperature, humidity and light are essentially the same, different corn varieties branch differently. Some have no branching, while some show branching in nearly 50% of plants, and this is branching caused by variety. For example, varieties with thicker leaves have a slightly higher occurrence rate than varieties with thinner leaves. Taller-growing varieties have a lower occurrence rate than shorter-growing varieties.

2. Planting density

Corn planting density is also one of the reasons for corn branching. Everyone knows corn should not be planted too densely, since excessive density affects ventilation and light in the corn field. But it also should not be planted too sparsely. If corn is planted too sparsely, the nutrients in the corn field will be excessive, and the number of plants will not be in proportion to the nutrients. When corn absorbs excessive nutrients and cannot use so many of them, it will grow branches at the side, and when planting density is too sparse, the occurrence of branching in corn will be very high.

3. Excessive water and fertilizer

Although corn needs a large amount of water and fertilizer during growth, if these are excessive, the loss may outweigh the gain. This is especially true of nitrogen fertilizer. Many people think nitrogen fertilizer can promote corn growth, making the ears plump and large and increasing yield. But fertilizing corn is like eating a meal: eating too much and stuffing yourself makes the body uncomfortable. If too much fertilizer is applied, it will be just like planting density being too sparse: the excess nutrients cannot be absorbed, which leads to branches growing at the side.

4. Short-stature factors

During corn cultivation, poor site selection in the early stage or improper management, damage from pests and diseases, and so on may make corn plants short, or it may be excessive use of growth-regulating agents, maize rough dwarf disease, and so on. This makes a certain corn plant much shorter than the others, but it is still continuously absorbing nutrients, and the plant cannot grow larger or taller, so it can only grow branches at the side, forming tillers, to pass on nutrients.

The four points above are the relatively common reasons for tiller formation. In fact, there is no need to be too concerned when corn produces tillers, because branching occurs precisely because the corn itself has too many nutrients and cannot absorb them. However, if the tiller grows as tall as the main stalk, the tiller still needs to be removed, because the tiller needs more and more nutrients and may cause malnutrition in the main stalk.