High-Yield Film-Mulched Cultivation Techniques for Spring-Sown Black Corn
Black corn is a new corn variety introduced in recent years and is a precious health-promoting fruit-and-vegetable food. After two consecutive years of trial planting, it achieved a yield of 400-500 kg per 667 sq m. Black corn has a plant height of 120 cm, a growth period of 90 days, a ear length of 12-15 cm, and a single ear weight of 150 g. It is suitable for sale as fresh-eating corn cobs, and can also...
Black corn is a new corn variety introduced in recent years and is a precious health-promoting fruit-and-vegetable food. After two consecutive years of trial planting, it achieved a yield of 400-500 kg per 667 sq m.
Black corn has a plant height of 120 cm, a growth period of 90 days, a ear length of 12-15 cm, and a single ear weight of 150 g. It is suitable for sale as fresh-eating corn cobs, and the corn kernels can also be harvested for making black food products. Growing black corn is highly valuable; sowing generally begins in late March and continues with staggered sowings until mid-June, with considerable economic returns.
Soil Requirements and Fertilization Techniques for Black Corn
Black corn is suitable for planting in all types of soil. Early spring planting requires plastic film mulching to help raise soil temperature and promote normal growth. In summer, because it is the rainy season, drainage ditches should be dug well in the planting plot. Since current soil fertility is mostly high in nitrogen, deficient in phosphorus, and poor in potassium, the base fertilizer should supplement phosphorus, increase potassium, and stabilize nitrogen. Because black corn has a relatively short growth period, a short plant shape, and rapid individual development, it is suitable for applying sufficient base fertilizer all at once. It is required to apply 50 kg of diammonium phosphate, 25 kg of potassium sulfate, 10 kg of full-element compound fertilizer or 20 kg of urea, and 50 kg of superphosphate per 667 sq m.
Its high-yield film-mulched cultivation techniques are as follows:
1. Sowing: According to the preparation of the plot, sowing generally begins with staggered periods from late March to early April, with 15-20 days as one cycle. If sowing after wheat harvest, it is necessary to build soil moisture about 7 days before wheat harvest so that black corn can be sown with sufficient soil moisture. Direct dibbling is used for sowing. Because black corn has a relatively short, compact plant type and strong resistance to lodging and stress, the density must be increased when sowing, leaving two plants per hole, sowing in wide and narrow rows, with 3500-4000 holes per 667 sq m being appropriate. The suitable plant (hole) and row spacing is 25 cm x 90-50 cm. If planting with equal row spacing, the suitable plant (hole) and row spacing is 22-25 cm x 75-50 cm.
2. Film mulching: Choose suitable plastic film according to the row spacing of planting, and cover with plastic film immediately after sowing. The film should be pulled straight and flat, and the middle and surrounding edges should be pressed firmly with clods and soil to prevent the wind from lifting the film and causing it to lose its mulching effect. Afterward, check the film frequently; if lifting of edges or damage is found, cover it immediately.
3. Field Management Techniques
1. Seedling stage management: The key to seedling stage management is ensuring full stands, uniform seedlings, even seedlings, and strong seedlings. For some seedlings that cannot push through the plastic film, manual perforation of the film should be used to help them emerge. For some black corn with missing plants and broken rows, check the seedlings and replant; for some small and weak seedlings, thin and finalize the seedlings in time. Thinning should preferably be carried out at the 2-3 leaf stage.
2. Mid-to-late stage management: The key to mid-stage management is striving for large ears and many kernels; the key to late-stage management is striving to increase kernel weight and raise yield. In view of the main management objectives, for some fertilizer-deficient seedlings, topdress according to the time, the seedlings, and the field, with 15 kg of diammonium phosphate and 5 kg of potassium sulfate.
3. Water management: Film-mulched corn sown in early spring with sufficient soil moisture generally can wait until the small trumpet stage, depending on weather conditions, to determine whether to irrigate; corn sown in summer is generally watered about once every half month. It should be noted that water should be applied thoroughly at one time, soaked through, without leaving standing water, especially in early spring.
4. Removal of ineffective tillers: Because black corn has the characteristic of tillering from the main stem, all tillers produced from the main stem should be removed, leaving only the main stem.