Caring for the Field
Germination
Optimum soil temperature for germination is 80°F-95°F. Germination takes between 7-10 days. Corn seed germination is severely retarded in soil temperatures less than 65°F.
Pest Control
The most serious offenders known to cause damage to corn plants during the vegetative, ear-irritation stage, flowering and maturing stage are corn maggots, thirps, army worms, corn borers and earworms.
These pests can be prevented and controlled by the use of proven insecticides.
Disease Control
The diseases that affect corn plants most severely are corn blast, true smut, and downy mildew.Unfortunately no fungicide can control downy mildew. But this can be prevented by planting corn at the same time in a given area, paying close attention to sanitation and treating corn seeds no matter where they came from.
Harvesting
To prevent big losses in harvesting, gather the crop as soon as it is already mature.
The method of harvesting will depend upon the size of the corn field. Harvesting by pulling the ears off the corn is a common practice in my country (phillipines). our local practice of hanging the harvested ears in bundles to dry before shelling is recomended for gardeners.
Go to Hand Pollination
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