First spring care for corn
Corn is a major grain and fodder crop due to its high productivity and indisputable nutrients. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the planned areas of corn for 2024 are just over half a million decares, but achieving good crop results requires a wide range of integrated plant protection methods.
After sowing, the first potential problem that appears is weeds. Their timely destruction is of key importance for reducing losses in this crop, and in cool weather conditions, weeds most often germinate before the crop, which leads to thinning of the crop and reduced yield.
The main species that weed corn crops are from the group of late spring weeds: hen millet, types of koshtryava, white dogwood, pigweed, types of shtir, common pot, black nightshade, tatul, etc. Serious competitors of corn plants are also early spring weeds such as mustard, broad beans, etc. Of the perennial rhizome and root-shoot weeds, especially big problems in corn are caused by balur, field palamida, povetitsa, milkweed, etc. The fight against problem weeds is effective only when applying preventive and agrotechnical measures, skillfully combined with the right choice of herbicides and timely treatment with them.
The most successful way to fight them in the early stages of corn is soil sealing. For this purpose, our agronomists recommend products based on pendimethalin, such as Sharpen 33EK and Pendistar 40SK. The active substance pendimethalin affects the division of cells in weed plants by disrupting stages of the processes of chromosome division and cell wall formation. When applied to the soil, newly emerging weeds absorb the product as they pass through the herbicide layer on the soil surface, resulting in their death. Sharpen 33EK contains 330g/l of active ingredient and is applied at a dose of 360-600ml/ha, depending on the weed infestation. Pendistar 40SK has a higher content of pendimethalin, namely 400g/l, and its recommended application dose is 30-50 ml/ha. The two herbicides successfully cope with major cereal weeds and most of the broadleaf species. Other suitable soil herbicides in corn are Successor TX and Gardoprim Plus Gold. Successor is a two-component systemic herbicide based on pethoxamid and terbuthylazine, which helps in the successful fight against many cereal and broadleaf weeds and is applied at a dose of 300-400 ml/ha. Gardoprim Plus Gold is a well-known product based on the active substances S-metolachlor and terbuthylizine. The recommended dose is 40-45 ml/ha.
Corn is particularly sensitive to stress in the initial stages of development with yield losses of 20% and more. Large temperature amplitudes, drought, too much rainfall, low soil temperatures, etc. can cause major changes in yield, because in these situations the plant concentrates all its energy in the fight against adverse conditions, with its first step being the production of amino acids. If you are looking for maximum yields and want your corn to be fully nourished, our experts recommend applying the amino acid Megafol at a dose of 20 ml/ha with the addition of 10 g/ha of the product Valagro EDTA Zinc, in order to ensure the needs of the crop and avoid deficiencies.
In the initial stages of corn development, it is important to monitor the spread of enemies. The most common in this phase of the crop are wireworms (field blackworm) and gray corn borer. The fight against them is mainly preventive and is carried out before sowing by disinfecting the seeds. We advise that disinfection be combined with a biostimulator to enhance the initial development of the corn and to avoid potential herbicidal stress from treatment in the initial phases of its development. For this purpose, we recommend our top product for root stimulation - Radipharm. A modest dose of 1 l per 100 kg of seeds will ensure improved germination and will supply the seed with the necessary microelements.
Wireworms are widespread and omnivorous enemies. They attack all types of crops - field, vegetable, young fruit trees and lead a hidden lifestyle. The main damage is caused by the larvae, whose development takes place entirely in the soil. They are observed in constant migrations, which are associated with the search for optimal living conditions. Their damage in corn consists of damage to the seeds, roots and young stems of the plants. The recommended agrotechnical measures to limit the development of economically important pests are good crop rotation and avoidance of pastures and uncultivated areas as a precursor to the crop. Chemical control against the enemy is carried out by decontamination of the soil with the biological product Naturalis at a dose of 20 - 30 ml/ha. It contains live spores of the fungus Beauveria bassiana and acts by contact against the different stages of the enemy - eggs, larvae and adults.
The gray corn borer is polyphagous, but prefers corn, wheat and legumes, beets, sunflowers, vines, etc. The damage it causes is gnawing on young sprouts and stems, and when foliage appears, it makes large irregular gnaws. At high density, the beetles can destroy a large part of the crop, but at a more advanced stage of development of the corn, the danger decreases. The fight against this enemy begins even before the crops are sown, and it is important to limit its spread while they are overwintering. Crop rotation with non-aggressive crops, spatial isolation and weed control, combined fertilization, optimal seed rate, sowing dates, etc. are recommended. Chemical control can be carried out by treating the seeds, and in terms of vegetation, the only product that can be applied is Mospilan 20SP at a dose of 1 g/ha.
