Growth Stage Development of Corn

TITA B. BENDAA AT- CROPS

PARTS OF CORN PLANT

Parts of a corn seed

Pericarp
Aleurone Layer

Endosperm
Embryo

Tip cap

STEM
three to four cms. thick. inter nodes are short and fairly thick at the base of the plant, become longer and thicker higher up the stem, and then taper again. upper leaves in corn are more responsible for light interception

LEAVES
As a large grass plant, the corn plant shares leaf characteristics common to grasses in general with parallel leaf veins. The veins of a leaf are fairly plain to see, especially if the leaf is held up to the light.

ROOTS
Normally Corn plant will have three types of roots:

Seminal roots - which develop from radicle and persist for long period, Adventitious roots-fibrous roots developing from the lower nodes of stem below ground level are the effective and active roots of plant and Brace or prop rootsproduced by lower two nodes.

FLOWER
The distinguishing feature of corn is the separation of the sexes among its flowering structures. Corn produces male inflorescences tassels which crown the plant at the stem apex, and female inflorescences cobs or ears

Parts of a male Inflorescence

Central Spike
Lateral Spike Flag leaf

Part of Female Inflorescense

Silks

Husk
Cob

Buds in the axil of husk

Shank

GRAIN
The individual maize grain is botanically a caryopsis, a dry fruit containing a single seed fused to the inner tissues of the fruit case.

STAGES OF CORN
VEGETATIVE Emergence Early-Whorl Mid-Whorl Late- Whorl Tassel REPRODUCTIVE Silking Stage Blister Stage Milk Stage Dough Stage Dent Stage Physiological Maturity

Developmental growth stages of corn

1 seed

2 Emerg

3 2 LS 1 WAE

4 EW 2 WAE

5 MW

6 LW

7 Tassel

8 Silk

9 Maturity

Pre- 2-3 emer DAP

20-25 30-35 45-55 55-75 40-45 days days days days (8 days (66 after silking (4WAE) (5WAE) WAE) DAE)

Silking Stage 55-75 days Blister Stage 10-14 days after silking Milk Stage 18-22 days after silking Dough Stage 24-28 days after silking Dent Stage 35-42 days after silking Physiological Maturity 40-45 days after silking

Almost all pest management decisions for corn are based on the vegetative stage.

1 seed

4 EW

5 MW

6 LW

7 Tassel

8 Silk

9 Maturity

1st LS 2nd LS

Vegetative Stage

Reproductive

silk

blister

milk

dough

dent

V1

V2

V3

V10
Tassel formation

Typical corn plants develop 20 to 21 total leaves.

Physiological maturity

Insects

1 seed

2 1st LS

3 2nd LS

4 EW

5 MW LW

7 Tassel Silk

9 Maturity

White grubs

Seedling maggot Corn borer Corn earworm

1 seed

2 1st LS

3 2nd LS

4 EW

5 MW AC/CW Aphids semilooper LW

7 Tassel Silk

9 Maturity

Diseases

1 seed

2 1st LS

3 2nd LS

4 EW

5 MW LW

7 Tassel Silk

9 Maturity

Downy mildew

Bacterial stalk rot Rust Banded leaf & sheath blight

Weeds
hoeing hoeing

hoeing

1 seed

2 1st LS

3 2nd LS
1-19 days

4 EW

5 MW
20-25 days

6 LW
30-35 days

7 Tassel
45-55 days

8 Silk
55-75 days

9 Maturity
40-45 days after silking

Weed-free

Offbarring

Hilling-up

REFERENCES
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Evangeline C Dela Trinidad, Ph.D Regional Crop Protection Center Department of Agriculture-5

THANK YOU