How corn grows: photos and stages of cultivation, advice from experienced farmers

Humans have been eating corn for a long time. This plant was first domesticated in what is now Mexico 2000 years ago. This country is considered the world leader in corn consumption. Each Mexican eats more than 90 kg of golden grains every year.

In Russia, corn is not so popular. But many grow sugar cobs in the country house and in the garden. In this article we will talk in detail about how to grow corn in open ground, and whether it is economically profitable to cultivate this cereal for commercial purposes.

Stages of crop growth and ripening periods

In the southern regions, corn grows well in open ground and is grown directly from seeds. In regions with colder climates and short and cool summers, the seedling method is used.

Prepared seeds are sown in a greenhouse or greenhouse and planted in open ground when the weather warms up. The seedlings are transferred to a permanent location when the soil warms up to +12…+13°C.

Let's look at the growth of corn in stages:

1. The beginning and full emergence of seedlings - the root system of the cereal is formed.
2. The beginning and full appearance of panicles - the above-ground parts of plants are intensively developing.
3. Beginning and full flowering of the cobs. At this stage, it is important to moisten and fertilize the soil. Lack or excess of moisture, lack of nutrients during the flowering period impair fertilization and reduce the grain content of the cobs.
4. Milky ripeness. The inside of the grains has a liquid consistency; when crushed, a milky-white liquid is released.
5. Milky-waxy ripeness. The grain becomes denser and less juice is released.
6. Waxy ripeness. The grains become dense, the juice does not release when pressed.
7. Full (technical) ripeness. A black dot appears at the base of the grain.

Ripening times vary depending on the variety and growing region. On average, from the moment of seed germination to the onset of technical ripeness, it takes from 65 to 150 days.

Description of the stages of cultivation on a personal plot

Growing the queen of fields in the country begins with variety selection or hybrid crop.

Choosing a variety or hybrid

Many varieties and hybrids of corn have been developed. The variety is selected based on the purposes of crop cultivation: for fresh consumption, storing for the winter or freezing.

Distinguish:

1. Early varieties — Sundance, Gourmand 121 (pictured), Trophy F1, Landmark F1. They produce a good harvest in a short time. Plants tolerate transplantation well and are often grown from seedlings. From the moment the sprouts appear until milky ripeness, an average of 65-89 days pass. Used fresh (boiled).
2. Mid-season varieties — Mermaid, Favorite, Pearl, Spirit F1. More resistant to adverse weather conditions. They sleep a month longer. Suitable for fresh consumption, canning and freezing.
3. Late varieties — Bashkirovets, Polaris, Russian bursting 3. The most productive, but also long-ripening varieties. Some specimens grow up to three meters in height. The ripening period lasts up to 150 days. Resistant to diseases and lodging. Universal to use.

Seed preparation

Corn is grown in two ways: sowing seeds directly into open ground and through seedlings.The seedless method is less labor-intensive, but does not allow for an early harvest. In this case, the crops are more resistant to the vagaries of nature.

A week before sowing The grains are heated at a temperature of +35°C. Seed material is soaked and remove pop-up instances. High-quality grain is wrapped in a wet cloth and kept moist until germination.

Before planting, the seeds are disinfected from pests and diseases. To do this, they are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, aloe juice or the preparations “Merkuran” or “Granozan”.

Grain for seedlings is planted in plastic or peat cups. The diameter of one container is approximately 10-12 cm. The glasses are filled with a mixture of turf substrate and humus or compost in a 1:1 ratio.

Prepared seeds are planted to a depth of 3-4 cm. Young plants are planted in a permanent place after a month.

Soil preparation

Soil preparation begins in the fall and consists of cleaning predecessors, digging and applying fertilizers.

For sowing, choose a well-lit area, protected from cold winds. Corn loves fertile soil: chernozem, loamy and sandy loam with good aeration and water permeability.

The best predecessors for corn are considered winter and spring cereals, legumes, cabbage, tomatoes, melons.

Important! Like all grains, corn absorbs many nutrients from the soil, so it is not cultivated in the same place for more than two years in a row.

In spring, the soil is loosened to the depth of seed placement.. This will saturate the soil with oxygen, retain moisture and accelerate the emergence of sprouts.

Landing

Seeds are sown in open ground after the soil has warmed to +12-13°C. The planting scheme is determined based on the manufacturer’s recommendations.On average, a distance of 50-60 cm is maintained between rows, and 30-40 cm between plants.

The seeds are planted in prepared and moistened soil to a depth of 6-8 cm and sprinkled with earth.

When planting through seedlings, prepare the holes in advance a little more than a glass deep. Then the plants are watered and mulched.

Care

Whatever you grow, it is important to properly care for plantings. Caring for corn beds comes down to watering, fertilizing, and protecting from pests and diseases.

How much water do crops need? The intensity of watering depends on climatic conditions and the stage of plant growth. The crop experiences the greatest need for moisture in the development phase of 9-11 leaves, when the plant is actively growing green mass, and during the flowering period. Lack of moisture reduces the quantity and quality of the crop.

After watering, the soil is loosened, removing weeds along the way.. Loosening and weeding are especially important at the initial stage of plant development.

Feeding is applied twice:

• the first - at the stage of formation of 3-4 leaves (organic fertilizer);
• the second time - at the panicle stage (mineral).

Diseases and pests

Corn crops are susceptible to fungal diseases. The most dangerous of them:

1. Fusarium. It affects cobs, stems, and young shoots. Reduces yield by half. It is characterized by the appearance of a pink coating on the cobs. Subsequently, the grains darken and collapse. The disease spreads due to high acidity of the soil, excess moisture, decreased air temperature, and thickening of crops. As a result of the activity of the fungus, toxins that are dangerous to people and animals accumulate in plant tissues.
2. Rust. The infectious agent becomes active in July.Light yellow spots appear on the underside of the leaf, which darken over time and become covered with pustules containing fungal spores.
3. Blister smut. A fungal disease accompanied by the appearance of new growths on foliage and cobs. Develops due to prolonged drought.

For the prevention of fungal diseases the seeds are treated with fungicides “Vitavax”, “Vitalon”, “Alios”, etc. The working liquid is prepared in accordance with the instructions on the package.

Common pests of corn fields include:

1. Wireworm is the larva of the click beetle. Loves high humidity. The larvae gnaw at the root system of plants and are capable of completely destroying crops.
2. Larvae scoops. They eat cotyledon leaves and young shoots of corn, as a result of which the plants stop growing and die.

Treatment of crops with insecticides “Kinfos”, “Karate Zeon”, “Tsiperus”, etc. helps protect against pests. Spraying is carried out during the growing season:

• when the first wave of pests appears;
• in two weeks.

Working fluid consumption is 200-400 l/ha.

Preventive measures include compliance with the rules of crop rotation, deep plowing in autumn, spring cultivation.

Harvest and storage

Cobs intended for consumption raw, boiled or canned are removed upon reaching the milky ripeness stage. At this stage, the beans have a delicate sweet taste. First, remove the heads of cabbage located closer to the top of the stem. They get there first.

The following signs indicate that cobs ready for harvest:

• the heads of cabbage strayed to the side;
• the panicle at the end of the cobs began to dry out;
• the cobs are completely filled with grains;
• the grains turned pale yellow;
• when pressed on the grains, a white liquid resembling milk is released.

Delays in harvesting lead to fruits losing their juiciness and sweetness., and the grains become hard.

Once the cobs are removed from the stalk, the sugars in the corn kernels begin to convert to starch. Therefore, the harvested corn is used as food. preserve or freeze within a few days after collection.

Features of cultivation depending on the region

Agricultural technology for cultivating corn differs depending on depending on the climatic conditions of the region:

1. In the Krasnodar region, early, mid-season, and late varieties of crops are grown everywhere. In this case, direct sowing of seeds in open ground is used.
2. In the Leningrad region and Moscow region, preference is given to early and mid-season varieties. Here they use sowing in open ground and growing through seedlings.
3. In the climatic conditions of the Urals and Siberia, it is preferable to plant heat-loving corn through seedlings. Then the cobs will have time to ripen before the end of the garden season.

Growing corn as a business

Growing corn is a profitable business. Culture is in great demand. Golden grains are canned, made into flour, butter, cereal, and popcorn. Corn is used when preparing feed for livestock, for industrial purposes: in the production of alcohol, paste, plastics, plaster, filters. Moreover, not only grains are used, but also foliage, stems and cob wrappers.

Culture grows well at an average temperature of +25°C. At high rates - above +32°C - the yield decreases. Plants are also demanding of sunlight. The duration of daylight should be at least 12 hours.

The Krasnodar region is considered the leader in corn cultivation. Good yields in the Voronezh and Belgorod regions. The lion's share of the harvest is used as animal feed, the rest is used in the food industry. About a quarter of the harvested corn is exported.

Favorable precursors for cereals - legumes and pumpkin plants. In the fall, the soil is plowed and fertilizing (manure) is applied. Potassium and nitrogen fertilizers are added in the spring.

If you plan to plant 56 thousand plants per hectare, then 1 linear meter will require 4.3 grains. Next, depending on the weight of the grains, the number of kilograms per 1 hectare is calculated. For example, if the weight of 1000 grains is about 200 g, then 11 kg of seed will be required to sow a hectare. Thus, the cost of the seeds will be about 30 thousand rubles.

The cost of renting land ranges from 1,500 to 5,000 rubles. Plowing one hectare of land costs about 4,000 rubles. You can rent or buy a corn seeder. The price of the unit is from 500 thousand rubles. up to 1.5 million rubles.

For pest control plants and soil are sprayed with chemicals. Drip irrigation is used for irrigation. The average water consumption rate is 35 m³/ha.

Harvesting is carried out in the milky ripeness phase. The later you harvest, the more starch and less sugar the beans will contain.

Total costs for labor, equipment, and fertilizers will be approximately 60-70 thousand rubles. The yield per hectare is about 85 thousand ears when planting 60 thousand plants. Profitability reaches 700%. This is one of the highest indicators in agriculture.

Tips and tricks from experienced farmers

The following tips and recommendations will help beginning gardeners in growing healthy grains:

1. Harvest start at grain moisture content of 70-75%. If dimples have formed on the top of the grains, it means the humidity has decreased to critical values.
2. Immediately after harvesting, the long stalks of the cobs and stipules are removed - they draw moisture from the grains.
3. After harvesting, the cobs are used for food or canned as soon as possible. The grain quickly loses sugar and delicate taste.
4. At zero temperature and air humidity of 90%, the cobs are stored well for about a week. If the temperature is higher, for example +5°C, the storage period without loss of quality is reduced to 3-4 days, at +10°C - to two days.
5. The roots of young sprouts are located close to the soil surface, so be careful when loosening and weeding.
6. It is good to plant corn next to beans, pumpkins, and cucumbers. With its wide leaves it shades the soil, prevents the growth of weeds and the evaporation of moisture. The strong stalks of the corn support the climbing beans, which in turn enrich the soil with nitrogen.

Conclusion

Growing tasty and healthy sweet corn is a simple process. The main thing is to choose the right variety and provide the plants with proper care. Golden grains are tasty and healthy; your household will appreciate fresh boiled cobs and corn preparations for the winter.

With the right approach, growing corn turns into a profitable business. The main thing is to think in advance about how the harvest will be sold, because the collected cobs are not stored for long.