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Having decided to grow corn, it is important to immediately plan how much space on the site can be allocated for it, how much crop you want to get. As with any other crop, you will need a grain or seedling of corn to plant, a solid understanding of the type of soil and the means available to cultivate it, and a basic knowledge of how corn grows. In this article, we will look at the nuances and subtleties of growing corn in Our Country, how much can be harvested from one hectare, based on the results of 2022 and the overall yield of different crop varieties.
Features of growing corn
The main requirement in growing corn is watering. At least twice during the growing season, the planting must be well watered. There are also varieties that are more demanding on the amount of moisture, which require 3-4 waterings per season, which nevertheless performed well in 2022: Collective 181, Bemo 182, Dokuchaevsky 250.
In addition, in order to get a good harvest, you will need to choose the right soil composition. First of all, you should take care of the air regime, because the harder and “monolithic” the soil, the worse the roots and stalks of corn will develop. The recommended minimum oxygen content is at least 5%, and the optimal one, at which the crop shows the best yield per 1 ha, is 20%. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out deep plowing of the soil on the eve of planting, at least 30 centimeters deep.
In the spring, even a hint of weeds must be destroyed, as they will spoil the grain that you sow. They do this twice: for the first time, they cultivate the soil during harrowing to a depth of 15 centimeters, the second time – immediately before planting to a depth of sowing grains (about 12-13 centimeters). The concentration of herbicides should be calculated according to the instructions with scaling up to 1 ha.
Returning to the topic of soil composition, it is worth noting that corn does not like acidic soil. Therefore, it is important to carry out liming if the acidity of the soil is high, otherwise, even with the application of mineral and organic fertilizers, you will not achieve much success in growing this crop. Throughout the season, you need to maintain a stable level of saturation of the soil with nutrients, until the grain reaches waxy ripeness.
The topic of fertilizers also requires a more detailed study: for 1 hectare (hectare) of plantings, about 40 tons of manure will be needed in order for the average yield to rise by 5–10 centners. A large amount of organic fertilizer is needed when growing corn for silage. In this case, it is best to grow crops in farm rotations or in areas with a high level of organic and mineral application. When sowing corn grain after manured crops, only mineral fertilizers can be applied.
Nitrogen fertilizers are most effective in areas with soddy-podzolic and depleted chernozem. For carbonate chernozems, it is better to choose phosphorus.
When growing corn for grain, keep in mind that this is a heat-loving crop that needs an air temperature of at least 10 ° C in order for the seeds to sprout. Despite the general drought resistance of varieties grown for grain, at least 85-95 millimeters of precipitation will be needed to obtain a yield of 500-600 centners per hectare. At the same time, it is important to understand that the abundance of moisture will contribute to the active growth of green mass, which can adversely affect the illumination of plants.
It is best to plant a crop after winter wheat, legumes, potatoes grown in 2022. You can also grow corn for grain after spring wheat, sugar beets. But for the cultivation of corn for silage, grains and legumes should be chosen as predecessors. Conversely, you can not plant after beets and sunflowers, as they deplete the soil.
To get silage, you should carefully choose a variety, paying attention to forage qualities, immunity, resistance to weather phenomena. It is necessary to calibrate the grain for landing. Soil temperature should be at least 10-12 °C.
Make a supply of herbicides in advance, because growing corn for silage in Our Country will not work without them. A continuous herbicide should be applied to the site immediately after harvesting the predecessor plant in 2022. You can use the drugs “Titus”, “Primextra Gold”, “Basis”.
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Growth phases
Unlike many crops, corn has 6 growth phases that have a big impact on the final yield that you can harvest from 1 hectare.
Corn sprouts appear on about 7 days if the weather is good and the seeds are properly prepared, or 15 if the weather is not warm. In the future, it helps to navigate the growth stage of the culture, the number of leaves.
The next phase is 5-6 leaves, when the growth of the stem and leaves slows down somewhat, since the roots go into active growth. They consist of several tiers, branching profusely as the plant develops. Primary roots appear from the germinated seed, they are on the “second” tier, nodal roots are formed from them, the so-called “third” tier. There are also supporting roots that give the plant stability during the growing season.
The next stage is the formation of the 8th leaf, when the aerial part begins to actively develop again. In this phase, the plant forms a large number of stepchildren, which die off at the end of the season.
The crop yield determines a short period (about 10 days) before flowering, as well as a longer period (up to 20 days) after flowering. It is in this phase that it is determined how many centners of grain can be obtained from 1 ha.
The flowering stage occurs in this way: the panicle (male inflorescence) forms pollen, and then dumps it on the cob (female inflorescence). This happens within 8-9 days, accompanied by the appearance of filaments.
Once cross-pollination has been successfully completed, the grain filling phase begins. Corn goes through three stages of maturation: milk, milk-wax, wax. The grain picks up nutrients from the plant, and how much will depend on how well you have fertilized the soil.
The final stage of corn growth (and it doesn’t matter if you grow it for grain or silage) is the formation of a black dot. This is the area at the base of the caryopsis, which means that the cob is fully ripe and ready to either go to silage or provide you with juicy grain.
Productivity of various types
The choice of variety depends on the needs. To obtain grains, early-ripening hybrids are chosen, since they have time to ripen before the onset of the dry period in Our Country. In addition, they show the highest yield per 1 ha. Among the best varieties should be noted Collective 181, Bemo 182, Dokuchaevsky 250, Corsair.
Of the varieties that showed the highest yield in Our Country in 2022, Lakomka 121 occupies the first place. This variety passes the vegetation in 75 days, while being highly resistant to diseases. The height of the bush reaches 1,5 meters, and the ears grow up to 20 centimeters. The taste of the grain is sweet, juicy, well suited for both canning and cooking at the stage of milk ripening. The yield per 1 ha in 2022 is 45-55 centners.
Another great variety is Spirit. It is planted in seedlings at the end of April. For full maturation, the variety needs only 50-60 days, and in any region of Our Country. It grows up to 2 meters in height. Cobs with large grains reach a length of up to 20 centimeters. It tastes very sweet and juicy. The yield of the Spirit variety in 2022 reached 60-70 centners per 1 ha.
To get silage, late-ripening varieties are planted. Given the different climatic conditions in the regions and the general trend that has emerged in 2022, it is possible to plant them mixed with early and mid-ripening varieties in order to get not only silage, but also ripe cobs. It is mixed crops that will help ensure the highest plant productivity per 1 hectare of land.
It should be noted that late-ripening varieties provide good green moisture, which makes it possible to obtain good quality silage. Also, the harvest in 2022 showed that it is possible to harvest high-quality silage from 1 hectare, collecting cobs of milky-wax and wax ripeness.
When calculating the fruiting of corn fields, try not to experiment and use varieties tested in 2022 that consistently bring at least 50 centners of grain per 1 ha.
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