What to Do About Low Corn Germination Rates? Cause Analysis and Solutions
Corn is one of the most common crops in China and also the main source of income for many rural families. As demand for it keeps growing, its planting area continues to expand. However, many farmers often encounter low germination rates when planting, which tends to affect yields and causes economic losses for farmers. So what causes low corn germination rates? And how do you solve this problem? Let's take a look at the detailed introduction from QinNongNet.
1. Poor Seed Maturity
The germination rate of corn is closely related to seed maturity. Good maturity means a high germination rate and also higher germination vigor. This situation mainly occurs when planting in higher-altitude areas, where temperatures keep dropping in the late grain-filling stage of corn, causing the seeds not to accumulate the expected heat units, so maturity is affected.
Solution: When sowing, choose varieties with a high germination rate, stable yield and strong stress resistance. At the same time, combine this with the local climate and environment and choose a suitable seed production base. In higher-altitude areas, sow early to promote early maturity and achieve the effect of later heat accumulation.
2. Moisture
Seed moisture is also a major factor affecting the germination rate. After the seeds are harvested and drying begins, temperatures keep rising, and the kernels are prone to mildew. When the seeds are just harvested, moisture can reach 30%-40%, but as the piling time increases, the temperature of the piled corn rises, and moisture also keeps rising, causing seed vigor to decline and then be completely lost. This leads to a continuous drop in the germination rate, and in the end the kernels become moldy and lose the ability to germinate.
Solution: After harvest, dehydrate promptly to reduce the moisture in the seeds. When piling, pay attention to the time; long-term piling is not advisable. Also pay attention to the method when drying.
3. Low Temperature
Like moisture, low temperature can cause freezing damage to seeds and lead to a low germination rate. After the seeds are harvested, if the ground temperature drops sharply to minus 14-15 degrees, it will directly reduce the germination rate of the seeds. If this lasts for as long as a week, the seeds will basically have no germination rate.
Solution: Low-temperature-induced low germination rates mainly occur in northern regions. During harvest and storage, be sure to pay attention to the ground temperature; it should not be too low. If the temperature is too low, you can use padding to isolate the seeds from the effects of low temperature.
4. Mechanical Damage
When threshing corn, mechanized methods are now used, which are convenient and quick, but they easily cause mechanical damage. This damages the embryo part of the corn kernels, leading to an increase in deformed seedlings and reducing the germination rate.
Solution: When threshing, it must be done scientifically and reasonably. The most scientific method is manual threshing, which basically does not damage the seeds, but it is time-consuming and labor-intensive and is gradually being phased out. What is common now is mechanical threshing. In fact, the damage rate of mechanical threshing is related to seed moisture. When seed moisture is below 15%, the damage rate is about 1%, while when seed moisture is 17%, the damage rate reaches 2.5%. Therefore, only by controlling moisture content can the damage rate be reduced.
The above are the causes of low corn germination rates and solutions brought to you by QinNongNet. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more about corn cultivation, please stay tuned to QinNongNet.