Maize fertilizer: how and what is the best way to feed or irrigate?

To obtain high yields, corn fertilizer is required when growing it for any purpose: food, technical, fodder. The rate and timing of top dressing depends on many factors, but in the first place: climate, irrigation, soil structure and fertility.

About Nutrients

Corn is a plant with a long growing season. Throughout it, it consumes a lot of nutrients from the soil. Practice shows that the yield when growing corn for grain and green mass directly depends on the timely application of mineral supplements. Corn has been cultivated for a long time and everywhere, in many countries it is called maize.

At different stages of development, the need for nutrition is different. In the period of panicle formation, the intensity of consumption increases. When growing modern hybrids, a yield of 1 t / ha is obtained when the following minerals are applied:

• nitrogen 24-32 kg;
• potassium 25-35 kg;
• phosphor 10-14 kg;
• magnesium 6kg;
• calcium 6 kg;
• boron 11g;
• copper 14g;
• sulfur 3 kg;
• manganese 110g;
• zinc 85g;
• molybdenum 0.9g;
• iron 200g

The application rate is calculated taking into account the content of basic nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium) in the soil. Important periods for the consumption of basic nutrients are the period when 5-7 leaves are formed, and the second - during the growth of 9 and 10 leaves.

First period

During the first period, corn is laying reproductive organs. The number and size of cobs depend on the availability of nutrition, phosphorus is especially needed at this time. The crop at this point has a poorly developed root system, so it needs readily available forms of nutrients.

Major need for phosphorus occurs two weeks after the first shoots appear. It is needed for the development of the root system of the plant. It is preferable to apply phosphate fertilizers in the fall. On light sandy soils, any form of nutrition is introduced in the spring.

Second period

The duration of the second period is from 17 to 20 days. At this time, there is an intensive growth of the aerial part of corn, the accumulation of most of the green mass. It is at this time that corn needs nitrogen.Weak soil mineralization, leaching of nitrogen from the soil leads to its deficiency.

At this time, nitrogen mixtures are applied. Potassium is necessary during the period of throwing panicles, the formation of flowers and cobs. On chernozem soils, a lack of zinc is noted. With its deficiency in the plant, the amount of tryptophan and protein decreases. Benefits of Potassium:

• facilitates nitrogen absorption;
• improves immunity;
• makes the plant drought tolerant;
• affects the formation of cobs.

Types of fertilizers

In different regions, soils differ in structure and, therefore, in the content of basic microelements. In the steppe black earth region, corn suffers from a lack of phosphorus and nitrogen. Pre-sowing application is not enough, they are quickly washed out of the soil and by the beginning of flowering they are not enough for the full development of plants.

Maize needs to be fertilized throughout the season. Practice mineral and organic top dressing. Priority is given to organic food. The modern corn fertilization system contains certain application rates for any kind of nutrient mixtures. To date, the following organic proportions apply:

• chernozem lands - from 15 to 20 t/ha;
• soddy-podzolic soils - from 20 to 35 t/ha;
• gray forest land - from 20 to 35 t/y.

The effect of fertilizers on the yield of a corn field is palpable. It was noted that the introduction of manure in the amount of 30 kg can increase the yield by 3-10 q/ha. Manure is used to make an infusion, it is needed for watering corn. Insist it from 3 to 5 days. You need to load 10 kg of mullein into the barrel and add 50 liters of water to it.

After 5 days, the cooking process ends. Mullein infusion is diluted with water before use: 1 liter of water is added to 1 liter of concentrated liquid. When using the ladybug, there are disadvantages:

• long thin stems;
• after watering, a crust forms on the soil.

To eliminate these shortcomings, adjust the application rate depending on the composition of the soil. Manure is recommended to be applied to loamy soils at a dose of 30-40 t/ha in autumn for plowing. In sandy soils, organic matter is applied in the spring during cultivation.

Liquid manure contains the entire set of trace elements needed by corn. Its application rate is 60-80 t/ha. When applying any form of organic fertilizer (liquid, solid), it is evenly distributed over the entire surface of the field with simultaneous incorporation into the ground.

Mineral fertilizers

The use of mineral preparations has a positive effect on the crop, increases resistance to diseases and bad weather conditions.

Nitrogen

As a nitrogen fertilizer use ammonium nitrate. They bring in the spring for plowing half the norm (50%), the second half of ammonium nitrate is used in the summer as top dressing. The first time they carry out summer top dressing in the phase of the first 5 leaves, the second - during the formation of cobs.

The lack of nitrogen is known by the color of the leaves. They become thin and lose color: turn pale, turn yellow. Deficiency sign eliminates ammonia well. In practice, farmers and summer residents use foliar feeding of corn: they use ammonia water for this purpose.

Violation of nitrogen application rates when fertilizing corn for silage negatively affects its quality:

• increasing percentage of nitrates in grain;
• declining percentage of dry matter;
• ears are forming.

Potassium and phosphate fertilizers

These types of fertilizers are applied in autumn on clay soil, and in spring - in sandy soil. Phosphorus is applied with the help of special devices during sowing. Superphosphate is a classic phosphorus fertilizer that is applied to the soil. In addition to superphosphate, ammophos is widely used. The rate of application of these fertilizers to the soil is 8-12 kg/ha.

High levels of phosphorus in the soil has positive aspects:

• improves the quality of silage;
• improves cold resistance;
• accelerates the ripening of cobs.

Young plants are more likely to suffer from a lack of potassium. They have small shoots covered with dark green leaves, stunted growth, and purple undersides of leaves.

In bad weather conditions (low average daily temperatures), the consumption of potassium by corn is growing. Potassium fertilization reduces cold weather stress and increases yields. On the cob, thanks to potassium, the percentage of sugars and starch increases, their taste improves.

Signs of potassium deficiency:

• wavy leaf edges;
• dark green leaf color;
• light leaf tips that turn brown over time.

In the phase of 6-7 leaves, 0.5 kg/ha of potash fertilizers (potassium s alt) is applied under corn. Potassium chloride is brought in for autumn plowing.

Fertilization methods

The entire technology of fertilizing corn is divided into three stages:

• main - fertilizer mixtures are applied during soil preparation in autumn (spring);
• pre-sowing - batteries are added during sowing;
• feeding - during the growing season.

The purpose of basic nutrition is to lay the foundation for a complete nutrition of corn. Fertilizers will be consumed as the plants grow. Fertilization into the soil in the absence of irrigation of corn is recommended to be done in the fall. Minerals introduced in the spring give a more tangible increase in yield. Fertilizers must be planted into the soil to a depth of 10 cm. At this depth, they are well absorbed by plants.

From nitrogen fertilizers, ammonium fertilizers are preferred:

• ammonium nitrate;
• anhydrous ammonia;
• ammonia water.

Phosphorus is supplied using phosphate rock and superphosphate. The choice of potash fertilizers is wide. Preference should be given to fertilizers that do not contain chlorine: potassium sulfate, magnesia.

Seedbed application

Near-sowing fertilization is carried out during sowing seeds into the soil. Make small doses of superphosphate or ammophos. By introducing minerals into the row-spacing to a depth of 3 cm, a high crop yield is achieved. Grain growth of 3-3.5 q/ha is noted.

During dotted sowing, corn is fed with superphosphate granules. The yield increases by 4 centners/ha with the additional introduction of small doses of potassium and nitrogen into the soil. The use of mineral fertilizers on fertile soils does not give such a tangible effect.

Proved in practice the effectiveness of complex fertilizers for corn. In the spring, before sowing, nitrophoska, diamofoss, sulfoammophos are applied. Many agricultural enterprises use liquid complex fertilizers to feed corn. UAN - carbamide-ammonia mixture is in demand. Liquid fertilizers are good because they can be applied to the soil using special equipment.

Summer feeding

On poor soils and in the absence of basic nutrition, top dressings become the main suppliers of nutrients. Nitrogen and phosphorus are applied to a depth of 6-8 cm. For their better assimilation, the soil should contain a small amount of moisture. With the help of summer dressings, they achieve a yield increase of 3-5 q/ha.

Foliar feeding

Foliar feeding is the fastest way to deliver nitrogen to the plant.Spraying on the leaf can be carried out in the absence of symptoms of nitrogen deficiency. For the preparation of a fertilizer mixture, carbamide (urea) is used. Urea treatment is combined with pesticides. For foliar dressings, carbamide is considered the best.

The digestibility of amide nitrogen is 90-95%. Assimilation of nitrogen occurs in an extremely short time.

Requirements for the weather during work: calm, air temperature not lower than 20 °C. Magnesium and sulfur are added to the fertilizer mixture with urea. They are well absorbed through corn leaves. The concentration of active substances in the solution should not exceed 5%.

Higher doses may cause leaf scorch. Up to 250 liters of solution are consumed per hectare. Foliar fertilizing with fertilizers containing copper and zinc, if the soil has a low content of these minerals. Processing is carried out in the phase of 6 leaves.

Conclusion

When growing corn, there is a need to use all types of fertilizers. The developed systems differ little when growing a crop for grain or for silage. A good result is achieved when using optimal doses of fertilizers.

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