Cultivation instructions

Crop Management

Plant Protection

The focus of treatments in maize is primarily on herbicides, as chemical fungicides and insecticides are generally less important, except for seed treatments. Maize has a critical phase in its early growth, during which it cannot tolerate competition from weeds, resulting in significant yield loss. This phase usually lasts from the 2- to 4-leaf stage to the 6- to 10-leaf stage. Weeds that germinate at the same time as maize do not typically cause damage up to this point. After this stage, maize plants usually grow rapidly, overtaking the weeds with their height growth and shading.

Critical phase in maize: between the 2/4 leaf stage and the 6/10 leaf stage. 

Weed Control

Chemical control measures can be divided into foliar active agents and soil herbicides. Foliar herbicides affect the metabolism of the weeds and control them, but emerging weeds after application are not affected. If necessary, a second treatment should be applied after the initial application, as late-emerging weeds will not significantly impact the yield but may affect crop rotation if their seeds mature. Soil herbicides are applied before weed seeds germinate. With sufficient moisture, these herbicides disrupt the germination process over an extended period, preventing proper plant development and causing the weeds to die.

In addition to chemical spraying, mechanical weed control will become more important in the future. Many farms and locations already use a combination of both methods.

Harrowing is a technique that does not depend on row spacing. Even before maize germinates, weeds in the thread stage can be "combed" out of the soil or buried. This reduces early infestations and delays subsequent plant protection measures until later growth stages when the maize is less sensitive to stress. The maize can also be harrowed at the 4- to 6-leaf stage, but care should be taken to avoid plant loss due to uprooting, spillage, or injury.
Row-dependent weed control can start from the 2-leaf stage. With young maize plants, care must be taken to protect them from damage caused by spillage. At later stages (from the 6-leaf stage onwards), the hoes can be adjusted to heap fine, loose soil into the maize row, burying the weeds without damaging the maize. It is also possible to use additional tools, such as a rotary hoe or finger hoe, which can reach into the row and improve treatment effectiveness. Another option for reducing the amount of plant protection products is the band hoe, which uses mechanical control between the rows and chemical control within the row.

However, adhering strictly to the correct development stages is not the only important factor. The prevailing weed population and current weather conditions are just as important for ensuring sustainable success.

Common Weeds in Maize:
  • Black twitch
  • Creeping thistle
  • Wild pansy
  • Small bindweed
  • Scented mayweed
  • Edible cyperus
  • Panicum-like plants
  • Chickweed
  • Goosefoot
  • Cornbind
  • Oilseed rape
During the germination phase, maize is highly sensitive to mechanical measures. Once the maize has two or more leaves, it can be carefully harrowed or hoed. It is recommended to perform mechanical weed control in the evening, as the plant cells contain less water at that time, making them more flexible.

 

Fertilization

On most farms, maize is fertilized before or directly during sowing, often with farm manure. Due to its dense root system and rapid growth, maize can absorb applied nutrients very efficiently over a long period during the growing season. Fertilizers can be applied in various ways, with one of the most efficient methods being strip-till. This involves creating a deposit of nutrients in the maize row at a sufficient distance from the seed. Alternatively, fertilizer is spread over and incorporated into the soil.
When sowing, remaining fertilizers are usually applied as under-root fertilization, which is tailored to the young development of the plant. The supply potential of the respective sites should be considered when fertilizing maize. Typical maize areas are often intensively fertilized with farm manure over several years, leading to an increased potential for nutrient mobilization due to soil cultivation and the initial lack of shading.
To apply manure to standing crops, tramlines are created, or specialized equipment is used.
The amount of fertilizer depends heavily on the expected yield and the intended use. The nitrogen requirement is generally around 140 - 200 N kg/ha. In mixed crops with legumes, around 30 N kg/ha less fertilizer should be used. Since maize has poor phosphate absorption during early development, it is crucial to ensure an adequate phosphate supply, although the soil supply of available phosphate may be sufficient in some cases. Potassium is particularly important for grain maize. As the most important osmotically active macro-element for the plant, it is absorbed in large quantities. Around 200 - 240 K2O kg/ha helps to stabilize the tissue and increase resistance to pests and other external pathogens. In soils with a normal magnesium supply, the magnesium requirement (around 40 - 70 MgO kg/ha) can be covered using mineral fertilizers containing magnesium and lime. Sulfur fertilization is becoming increasingly important in maize, as in other crops, due to the decreasing sulfur inputs from industry and transport. The sulfur requirement is around 30 - 40 S kg/ha.