Key Considerations for Corn Crops

NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT

Nitrogen and potassium are the most important nutrients for successful growth in corn crops. However, it’s not enough to apply fertilizer and hope for the best. Corn can only absorb a limited amount of nitrogen and potassium without help, and any excess will be lost through fixation or leaching. For optimal results in those critical growth stages (especially V6), nitrogen and potassium need efficiency increases. You can give them the efficiency boost they need with our nutrient use efficiency products listed above.

By improving plant metabolism or reducing fixation, our lineup of nutrient use efficiency products can help increase your corn’s nutrient uptake, giving it more of the nutrients it needs for optimal growth, all while helping you maximize your fertilizer ROI.

SOIL AND TEMPERATURE REQUIREMENTS

Corn is very sensitive to water-logging, so well-drained, sandy loam soils or silty clay loams are ideal. Corn crops can be very sensitive to frost, so it’s important to plant in moderately warm soil and harvest early, before the weather turns.

PEST MANAGEMENT

Weeds tend to compete with corn for resources. Unfortunately, corn is also susceptible to insect and disease damage, which is highly influenced by the season’s weather conditions. To combat pest and disease pressure, herbicides, pesticides and fungicides are recommended as part of an integrated pest management program.

Key Nutrients

• Nitrogen — For yield, quality and maximum economic return, nitrogen is key. Apply early for best results, but split applications can also be beneficial. However, more nitrogen doesn’t mean more uptake. Additional applications can often increase N lost to the soil, so, increasing your nitrogen efficiency could generate a higher ROI than applying more fertilizer.
• Potassium — Needed almost as much as nitrogen, potassium uptake is rapid, especially during stem extension. This is why potassium—like nitrogen—needs its efficiency increased.
• Phosphorus — Key for rapid, early growth as well as maturity and root growth.
• Zinc, Copper, Manganese and other micronutrients —Important for root and shoot development, but not as critical for growth as N, P and K.