Key Points of High-Yield Corn Cultivation Techniques and Pest and Disease Control Methods

Corn is an important feed crop, industrial raw material and food crop in China, and its position in China's crop farming industry is extremely important. To increase corn yields and raise farmers' incomes, it is necessary to actively study corn cultivation techniques and pest and disease control measures.

1 High-Yield Cultivation Techniques

1.1 Sowing.

The key factors affecting corn seed germination are temperature and moisture. Therefore, to ensure high corn yields, sowing must be carried out at a temperature suitable for seed germination. Generally, the minimum temperature at which corn seeds germinate most easily is 6°C-8°C, and corn seedlings grow slowly at a temperature of 10°C-12°C. However, for corn seedlings to grow vigorously and emerge as early as possible, care should be taken during sowing not to plant too deep or too shallow, with 4-6 cm being optimal. The fundamental reason is that the emergence time is affected by sowing depth: the deeper the sowing, the later the emergence, and too late an emergence will affect seedling growth. To ensure uniform, complete and strong seedlings and guarantee high yields, fertilizer-ball seedling raising and transplanting can be used.

1.2 Thinning at the Appropriate Time.

During the growth of directly sown corn seedlings, thinning should be carried out according to the growth conditions of the corn. When the corn seedlings produce their 3rd leaf and grow to 2-3 cm is the best time for thinning. In the process of thinning, the standard of removing weak plants and keeping strong ones should be followed, and the optimal planting density should be selected according to different corn varieties so as to facilitate better seedling growth. For example, for Xuanhuangdan No. 4, the optimal planting density is 3,800 plants/mu. At the same time, during the planting process, if the density exceeds the optimal planting density, it will lead to insufficient nutrients and moisture for the seedlings, thereby causing lodging of the seedlings and affecting the overall corn yield. Conversely, if it is lower than the optimal planting density, it is difficult to achieve the goal of high yield.

1.3 Water and Fertilizer Management

1.3.1 Seedling Stage.

The amount of moisture contained in the soil directly affects the normal growth of seedlings. If the total moisture content in the soil is higher than the moisture required for seedling growth, the normal growth of the seedlings will be affected, and in severe cases waterlogging will occur and cause seedling death. Secondly, if the soil moisture content is relatively low, it can promote the corn root system to extend downward, thereby benefiting the extension of the seedling root system. Therefore, at the seedling stage, in order to prevent waterlogging, the soil can be kept moderately dry and the amount of water appropriately controlled.

1.3.2 Large Trumpet Stage.

This period is crucial to the formation of corn ears and kernels. It mainly refers to when corn has grown 8-10 leaves; water and fertilizer management plays an important role in aspects such as the size of the female ear and the number of kernels. Therefore, during this period, it should be ensured that the corn absorbs sufficient nutrients and moisture, so that the number of kernels in the female ear increases, thereby increasing its yield.

1.3.3 Silking Stage.

Applying too much nitrogen-containing chemical fertilizer seriously affects the flowering period of the male and female ears, so excessive application of nitrogen-containing chemical fertilizer should be avoided, thereby increasing the corn yield.

1.4 Harvest

1.4.1 Dough Stage.

During this period, the waxy endosperm has already formed, and the corn kernels are close to their maximum dry weight. Therefore, harvesting corn at this time can ensure high yield and high quality.

1.4.2 Full Ripe Stage.

During this period, the milk line of the corn kernels has disappeared, and the black layer has formed at the base. Therefore, corn harvested at this stage not only has unsatisfactory quality and yield, but also has problems such as more residue and thicker hulls.

2 Pest and Disease Control Techniques

2.1 Corn Borer.

During the growth of corn, it is harmed by the corn borer. The corn borer bores into corn leaves and then enters the heart leaves of the corn seedlings, bringing adverse effects to corn growth. In the process of controlling the corn borer, its growth habits and growth environment should be fully understood, and manual capture methods should be adopted during the peak season of the corn borer. At the same time, natural enemy control can also be used by cultivating natural enemies of the corn borer, such as Trichogramma. Choose corn varieties with relatively high resistance and spray them with pesticides regularly.

2.2 Northern Leaf Blight.

Northern leaf blight of corn occurs on the lower leaves of the corn plant. The leaves will wilt due to infection by northern leaf blight, and in severe cases it will spread across the entire leaf, causing the leaf to die, while infection of the husk leaves or leaf sheaths will affect corn kernel quality. Therefore, to control the development of the pathogen and prevent re-infection, the leaves that have basically been infected by the pathogen should be removed and destroyed, and agents such as chlorothalonil and carbendazim can also be sprayed.

2.3 Head Smut.

Head smut is a relatively common disease during corn growth and mainly occurs on corn ears, stalks, leaves and other parts. The main causes of head smut are: first, excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer, causing corn to grow only stalks and no fruit, and making the plant tissues soft; second, because the head smut pathogen can overwinter in the soil, and continuous cropping provides the pathogen with a good host, thereby increasing the number of pathogens; third, improper or untimely handling of the pathogen can also cause corn plants to be infected by the pathogen again. Therefore, in order to effectively control infection by the head smut pathogen and reduce the pathogen base, seed coating agents should be used to coat the seeds. At the same time, excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer should be prevented as much as possible, deep plowing of the land should be adopted, reasonable crop rotation should be carried out, and plants already infected with head smut should be handled promptly and effectively.

[Text] Liu Yonghe. Modern Rural Science and Technology