Corn Crop Cultivation

GROWTH CONDITIONS Ideal rainfall of about 85-200 mm / month and must be evenly distributed. In the phase of flowering and seed filling need to get enough water. Should be planted before the beginning of the rainy season or dry season. Need sun, shade plants, its growth will be stunted and yields seed which is not optimal. The optimum temperature between 230 C - 300 C. Corn requires no special soil requirements, but the loose soil, humus rich soil will produce optimal. soil pH between 5.6 to 7.5. Good aeration and water availability, land slope of less than 8%. Areas with a slope of more than 8%, should be done before the formation of terraces. Altitudes between 1000-1800 m above sea level with optimum height between 50-600 m above sea level.
TECHNICAL GUIDELINES FOR CULTIVATION
Terms of seed Seed should be of high quality both genetic, physical and physiology (seed hibryda). Ability to grow the seeds of more than 90%. + Seed needs 20-30 kg / ha.
Land Treatment Land cleared of previous crop residues, crop residues which is pretty much burned, the ashes are returned to the soil, then treated with a hoe and plow. Hoe the soil to be planted as deep as 15-20 cm, then flattened. Every 3 m along the drainage line is made of plants. Channel width 25-30 cm, depth 20 cm. These channels are made primarily on the soil drainage bad area.in with pH less than 5, the limed soil (300 kg / ha) with lime spread evenly way / on row crops, + 1 month before planting.
Planting techniques
Determination of Crop Patterns Some cropping is usually applied: a. Intercropping, planting more than one crop (same or different ages). Example: same age as intercropping maize and soybean intercropping different ages such as maize, cassava, upland rice. b. Intercropping cultivation (Multiple Cropping), performed in succession throughout the year taking into account other factors to get maximum benefit. Examples: corn, upland rice, soybean, peanut, etc.. c. Plants have an insert (Relay Cropping): cropping pattern by inserting one or several types of crops other than staple crops (in planting the same time or different times). Example: corn inserted peanuts, corn harvest time inserted beans. d. Plants Mixed (Mixed Cropping): consisted of planting some crops and grow without the regulated spacing as well as rows, all mixed into one. Land efficient, but risky to the threat of pests and diseases. Example: mixed crops such as corn, soybeans, cassava.
 
Holes and How to Plant Planting Planting hole, a depth of 3-5 cm, and each hole was filled only with a grain of seed. Spacing corn harvest adjusted to the age, the longer the wide spacing of its age. Corn harvest was more than 100 days after planting, cropping distance 40x100 cm (2 plants / hole). Corn harvest 80-100 days old, using the earnings range 25x75 cm (1 plant / hole).
Thinning and Stitching Plants that grow well at least, cut with a sharp knife or scissors just above the soil surface. Revocation of plants directly not to do, because it will hurt the roots of other plants that will be allowed to grow. Stitching aims to replace the seeds that do not grow / die, performed 7-10 days after planting (HST). The number and types of seeds as well as equal treatment in the stitching when planting. 

Weeding Weeding is done 2 weeks. Weeding in the young corn plants can be by hand or small hoe, fork, etc.. Weeding should not disturb plant roots are at that age are still not strong enough to grip the ground then carried out after 15-day-old plants.

 
Irrigation and Watering Once the seeds are planted, watering taste, unless the soil has been moist, aim to keep the plants do not wilt. But ahead of flowering plants, which required larger water so it needs the water flowed in the trenches among bumbunan corn crop. 

 
Pests and Diseases
Pest a. Flies seedlings (Atherigona exigua Stein) Symptoms: The leaves change color to yellow, the affected decay, eventually withered crops, plant growth becomes stunted or die. Cause: The flies seeds with the characteristics of fly ash-gray color, the color of greenish yellow striped back, abdomen yellowish brown color, the color of pearl white eggs, and flies the length of 3 to 3.5 mm. Control: (1) simultaneous planting and application of crop rotation. (2) the affected plants immediately withdrawn and destroyed. (3) Sanitation garden. b. Caterpillars Cutting Symptoms: plants cut a few centimeters above ground, marked with bite marks on the trunk, resulting in young plants collapsed. Cause: Some kind of worm cutters: Agrotis Ipsilon; Spodoptera litura, corn stalk borer (Ostrinia furnacalis), corn and fruit borer (Helicoverpa armigera). Control: (1) Planting simultaneously or crop rotation, (2) locate and kill the caterpillars are (usually found in soil).
2. Disease a. Disease downy mildew (Downy mildew) Cause: The fungus Peronosclerospora maydis and P. javanica and P. philippinensis, rampant at a temperature of 270 C to the upper air and humid air conditions. Symptoms: (1) ages 2-3 weeks of spiky leaves, small, rigid, inhibited the growth of the stem, the color yellow, the underside of the leaf there is a layer of white fungus spores, (2) ages 3-5 weeks impaired growth, leaf color changed from the base of the leaves, cobs changing form and content, (3) on adult plants, there are brown lines on older leaves. Control: (1) before planting or the beginning of the rainy season, (2) the cropping pattern and the pattern of crop rotation, planting resistant varieties, (3) remove and destroy infected plants, (4) Preventive early planting with GLIO
b. Leaf spot disease (Leaf Bligh) Cause: The fungus Helminthosporium turcicum. Symptoms on leaves appear elongated and irregular patches of yellow and surrounded by a brown color, spotting develops and extends from the leaf tip to the base of the leaf, initially appears wet spots, then change color to yellowish brown, then turn dark brown. Eventually the entire leaf surface is brown. Control: (1) crop rotation. (2) regulate the conditions of land is not damp, (3) Prenventif beginning with GLIO
c. Rust disease (Rust) Cause: the fungus Puccinia sorghi Schw and P.polypora Underw. Symptoms: In adult plants, older leaves have spots brownish-red stains like rust and there is a brownish yellow powder, powders of this fungus to grow and elongate. Control: (1) provides moisture, (2) plant varieties resistant to disease, (3) sanitation garden
d. Hirst swelling disease (Corn smut / boil smut) Cause: The fungus Ustilago maydis (DC) CDA, Ustilago zeae (Schw) Ung, Uredo zeae Schw, Uredo maydis DC. Symptoms: This fungus entry into the seed on the cob so that the swelling and remove the gland (gall), this swelling causes the wrapping is damaged and dispersed spores. Control: (1) provides moisture, (2) cut off the plant and burned.
e. Cob rot diseases and rotten seeds Cause: The fungus Fusarium or Gibberella include Gibberella zeae (Schw), Gibberella fujikuroi (Schw), Gibberella moniliforme. Symptoms: it can be seen after opening the wrapper cob, corn seeds pink or brownish red and then turns into chocolate brown color. Control: (1) corn planting resistant varieties, rotating crops, set spacing, seed treatment.

 
Harvest and Post Harvest 1. Characteristics and Harvest + Harvest age 86-96 days after planting. Corn for vegetables (baby corn, baby corn) harvested before the seeds are fully charged (1-2 cm in diameter cob), corn on the cob / firewood, harvested when ripe corn milk to rice and maize, fodder, seeds, flour etc are harvested when ripe physiological.
2. How to Harvest Rotate the cob follows break the fruit stalk of corn.
3. Paring Peel while still attached to the rod or after harvesting is completed, so that the water content in the cobs can be lowered so that the fungus does not grow.
4. Drying Drying corn with sunlight (+7-8 days) until the water content + 9% -11% or with a dryer.