In the process of corn production, deficiencies of various elements often occur, and many inexperienced newcomers mistakenly think that corn seedlings have mutated. Let's learn together about the symptoms of zinc deficiency in corn.
What Are the Symptoms of Zinc Deficiency in Corn?
Zinc deficiency in corn can lead to the formation of white shoots in newly emerged corn seedlings. Plant growth is slow, and internodes become shorter. After the leaves grow, light yellow spots or green-striped streaks appear between the veins. Sometimes, white or yellow tissue bands or necrotic spots appear between the midribs and margins of the leaves. The front of the leaves appears transparent white and is prone to breakage when exposed to strong winds.
What Are the Dangers of Zinc Deficiency in Corn?
In the middle and late stages, zinc deficiency in corn can cause the time when the male tassels emerge to be too far apart from the time when the female silks are emitted, resulting in asynchronous flowering, which affects normal pollination. This leads to poor development of corn ears, sparse grains, and barrenness. When corn is severely deficient in zinc, light white lesions appear at the leaf tips. Later, the leaves suddenly turn black, wither, and die within a few days.
What Causes Zinc Deficiency in Corn?
Zinc deficiency in corn is caused by both internal and external factors. Internal factors include insufficient growth hormone in corn, resulting in the inability of cell walls to elongate. External factors include zinc deficiency in the soil and excessive application of phosphate fertilizers.
Best Methods for Zinc Supplementation in Corn
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Seed Mixing: Mixing zinc into seeds is efficient, requiring less effort, less quantity, quick results, and long-lasting effects. Before planting corn, dissolve 20-40 grams of zinc sulfate per kilogram of corn seeds in a small amount of water, then evenly spray it on the seeds, mix well, and then sow. This can effectively prevent zinc deficiency in seedlings.
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Basal Fertilization: Basal fertilization, combined with other fertilizers, has the advantages of large application volume, labor and time savings, etc. When planting corn, mixed fertilization can be performed. For each acre, use 2 kilograms of zinc sulfate + 40-50 kilograms of 40% controlled-release fertilizer, mix evenly, and sow together with the seeds. This can meet the zinc fertilizer needs of corn throughout the entire growth period at once.
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Foliar Spray: Foliar spray has the advantages of high utilization rate and quick effect. Generally, during the 6-9 leaf stage of corn, evenly spray a solution of zinc sulfate at a concentration of 500 times, or at the initial stage of zinc deficiency symptoms, spray a solution of zinc sulfate at a concentration of 300-400 times every 7-10 days, for 2-3 times. This can quickly alleviate zinc deficiency symptoms.
Above are the introduction of zinc deficiency symptoms, hazards, and remedies in corn. If you notice these symptoms during the corn planting process, be sure to check whether it is due to zinc deficiency.
