How to prevent the empty stalk of corn

Empty stalk phenomenon is often found in maize cultivation, and the rate of empty stalk can reach about 30% in serious cases, which has a great impact on yield. There are generally two forms of corn empty stalk: one is complete empty stalk, that is, there is no female ear at all; the other is ear embryo between leaf axils, but its development is not completed. These two types can be divided into two types: thin and weak growth and excessive growth from the appearance of plants.

There are many reasons for corn stalk empty, which are closely related to planting density, fertilization, meteorological conditions and field management. Generally speaking, the higher the density, the higher the empty stalk rate, especially in the case of shallow tillage and insufficient water and fertilizer, the performance is most significant. Because of the density is too large, the farmland microclimate condition deteriorates, the individual plant nutrition area is small, the solar radiation energy received is reduced, the photosynthesis intensity is reduced, the root system development is poor, and the normal growth and development of the plant are affected, resulting in empty culms.

Insufficient fertilizer can also increase the percentage of empty culms. However, under the condition of excessive nitrogen fertilizer, the vegetative organs of plants will grow too luxuriantly, resulting in the contradiction between vegetative growth and reproductive growth. Due to excessive growth of plants, the whole population structure will be changed, and the differentiation of reproductive organs will be inhibited under poor conditions such as insufficient light, which will also increase the empty culm rate.

During the period of formation and development of female ear, excessive drought will lead to female ear atrophy and failure to pull out, or failure to pull out silk. During the differentiation period of female and male panicles, continuous rain and insufficient sunshine reduced the photosynthesis intensity of plants. In addition, the long-term accumulation of water in the soil is poor, the absorption capacity of the root system is weakened, and the nutrients cannot meet the needs of female ear formation, which will make the female ear unable to differentiate or cannot develop normally after differentiation, resulting in empty culms.