Better Corn Possible 



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Too Many Fields in Midwest Combelt 

 Go on Hunger Strike That in Time 

 Cuts Yields and Profits 



YES, we are making more corn 

 than ever. In the face of such 

 facts you will be shocked at my 

 contention that at least two-thirds 

 of the corn fields of the corn belt 

 failed to perform according to the high 

 standard we nave set for them. 



By July 4th and knee-high time most 

 corn fields in the Midwest looked beau- 

 tiful and were far ahead of schedule. 

 Many fields were beginning to show 

 tassels. Hunger signs could hardly be 

 found, the color was perfect. Over most 

 of the corn belt the rainfall was as good 

 or better than normal. Suddenly, about 

 the last week in July many fields began 

 to show a slight paling in the green 

 color — this was the first sign of nitro- 

 gen starvation. By Aug. 20 the nitro- 

 gen hunger signs were wide-spread. 

 Many corn fields were beginning to 

 show white husks and dented kernels 

 the last week in August. This was shut- 

 ting down the factory too soon. An- 

 other point, these nitrogen plants prob- 

 ably made a lower protein content 

 corn. 



Too many of our corn fields put on 

 a hunger strike that cut the yield. The 

 nitrogen shortage that occurred in 

 August in so many of these fields forced 

 the corn into premature ripening. We 

 forced corn under such conditions to 

 ripen in the hottest weather of our 

 summer. This was bad. 



Hot weather increases the rate at 

 which sugars burn up in plants, a proc- 

 ess called respiration. Sugars were 

 therefore excessively lost by this burn- 

 ing process rather than packed into the 

 ear as starch to make deep kernels and 

 higher yields. 



The unusually warm June put life 

 into the soil micro-organisms. They 

 went to work early and loosened up a 

 lot of available nitrogen tied up in the 

 soil organic matter. This does not 

 happen as long as the soil is cold. 

 Crops starve for nitrogen in early 

 spring while the soil is still cold even 

 though there will be a lot of nitrates 

 available later in the season. The warm 

 soil and high available biologic nitro- 



By GEORGE D. SCARSETH 



Director of Research 

 American Farm Research Association 



gen in early June of the 1949 season 

 kicked the corn off to a mighty vigorous 

 start. The corn became ambitious and 

 made a big plant. However, in too many 

 fields these ambitious young corn plants 

 found the cupboard running empty too 

 soon. There was not enough organic 

 matter in the soil to rot down through- 

 out the summer and give enough nitro- 

 gen to carry on through to a successful 

 finish. 



Many fields showed nitrogen hunger 

 even though a considerable quantity of 

 organic matter had been turned under. 

 This was especially true where the stand 

 was thick. Farmers have learned that a 

 thick stand means more corn when 

 there is plenty plant food. With thick 

 stands, extra nitrogen in addition to 

 that supplied by the organic matter 

 proved the soundness of the two work- 

 ing together. 



Again I emphasize that it took the 

 minerals of phosphorus, potash, pal- 

 cium. magnesium, and certain trace 

 elements to build the crops of legumes 

 that made most of the organic matter. 

 I emphasize again that the whole array 

 of sound conservation practices and 

 management are needed, but let's not 

 overlook why some of these corn fields 

 failed to meet the test. 



Briefly these observations seem to 

 boil down to the following conclusions: 



1. Have a large supply of decom- 

 posing organic matter in the soil as the 

 number one back-log for success. (Prac- 

 tice rotations and fertilization that make 

 an abundant residual supply of organic 

 matter). 



2. Use available nitrogen in the 

 starter row fertilizer to give the corn a 

 sure-fire push off in spite of cool and 

 wet weather. 



3. It looks like a highly prolific 

 (more than one ear per stalk) corn with 

 a longer pollen season should have 

 some advantages on soils of high fer- 

 tility. (More research is needed to 

 prove this point to be right or wrong). 



4. Plant thick enough to assure a big 

 capacity for production. 



5. In addition to the minerals sup- 

 plied through other crops fertilized in 

 the rotation and in the starter fertilizer, 

 be sure extra nitrogen is supplied either 



(Continued on page 28) 



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L A. A. RECORD 



