Content
Growing corn in a small area or in a field requires some care. One of the most important rules of agricultural technology in this case is the destruction weed throughout the entire period of crop growth. With a large planting area, manual weeding becomes impossible, and here a corn herbicide comes to the aid of farmers.
What are herbicides and what are they for?
Herbicides are the name of a group of chemical reagents that are used in agriculture to destroy certain vegetation. They are usually used on large crop areas where it is impossible to control weeds manually. Treatment with special preparations allows you to quickly and effectively get rid of many types of foreign vegetation at once.
Herbicides have different compositions and, accordingly, different effectiveness and scope of application. Currently, about 300 types of chemicals have been developed and successfully introduced into the agricultural industry.
There is a generally accepted classification of herbicides according to their action:
- Continuous action – destroying everything that is currently growing on the site, including the crops themselves.They are suitable for freeing up an area for crops or destroying particularly persistent types of weeds. On sown lands they are used only after the crop has already been harvested;
- Selective (selective) action – posing a threat only to certain categories of plants in areas with certain crops. Their use is possible at any time.
If we talk about the treatment of corn fields, then herbicides from the second group are suitable here, which will not harm the main plants.
Features of weeds
A farmer or gardener who uses corn herbicides on his property must have a clear understanding of the types of weeds and their characteristics. This will greatly facilitate the selection of the appropriate drug.
When controlling weeds, the following characteristics must be taken into account:
- not all weeds begin to develop at the same time: one part germinates in the spring, while the other appears during the summer and even at the beginning of autumn;
- There are annual herbs, which only need to be destroyed once, and perennials, which, if not completely destroyed, can grow from year to year;
- weeds have different types of reproduction: some - with the help of a branched root system, which makes them almost impossible to remove completely (loach, sow thistle), others - due to a large supply of seeds (colc, amaranth).
If you do not pay attention to the listed characteristics of plant pests, you will have to resort to broad-spectrum herbicides.
What herbicides are suitable for treating corn?
Corn is one of the most common agricultural crops. It is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and good yield indicators. At the same time, its crops are very susceptible to contamination by foreign harmful plants, which negatively affects the development of the crop. Therefore, there are a significant number of herbicides suitable for corn that can help combat this problem.
Preparations used to treat corn plantings are classified as selective herbicides and are divided into 2 groups:
- soil;
- post-emergence.
The main active ingredient of such products can be:
- dimethylamine salt (suitable for use on wet soil, but on dry soil it can cause burns to the main crop);
- sulfonylurea (can be used at temperatures from 5 °C, has high selectivity, is effective against most perennial plants);
- acetochlor (effective mainly against annuals, has a long period of protection, acts in the upper layers of the soil);
- clopyralid (used at an early stage of weed development and works well during the period of active growth, ineffective against the cruciferous family).
Popular herbicides for corn
To choose a suitable preparation for corn, you should carefully study its description and application features.
Trimmer
It is a systemic drug. The main active ingredient is a sulfonylurea derivative.
Effective against most annuals and perennials of the dicotyledonous class. Corn is treated with herbicide in the phase of up to 5 leaves.
Available in the form of granules, which must be diluted in water for use.
Quasar
Belongs to the group of post-emergence selective preparations. It has a systemic effect on all types of plant pests.
It features fast response and a long period of crop protection.
Produced in the form of a concentrated suspension.
Miranda
It is a post-emergence herbicide with a broad spectrum of action.
Used in the growth phase of corn from 3 to 10 leaves. A derivative of sulfonylurea (nicosulfuron), it actively penetrates weed cells, inhibiting their division.
Can only be used without additional active substances.
Aztec
Refers to a type of selective soil herbicides. The main active ingredient is acetochlor.
Shows high efficiency in the fight against dicotyledonous perennials and cereal plants. Before applying the drug, the soil must be well moistened.
Guarantees crop protection for up to 2 months.
Titus
Belongs to post-emergence systemic herbicides based on rimsulfuron (sulfonylurea derivative).
Used for spraying plants after germination. The first signs of impact are noticeable already on the 5th day after treatment.
Prima
A potent drug based on two active components - florasuram and ethylhexyl ether.
It is highly effective both when applied after germination and at the stage of already developed plants. The first results are noticeable the very next day after treatment.
Available in the form of a concentrated suspension.
How to properly treat corn with herbicide
The rules for treating corn with special preparations directly depend on the type of herbicide itself - whether the treatment is carried out before planting, after sowing, or already during the period of crop growth.
But we can still highlight a number of general recommendations for processing corn:
- before using the chemical, you need to properly loosen the soil, otherwise seeds or parts of the root system of weeds may remain in the clods, which the drug will not affect, and they will germinate again;
- Before applying the herbicide, you need to moisten the soil, since the preparations can dry it out;
- weather conditions affect the effectiveness of treatment, so applying herbicides during rainfall, strong winds and low temperatures is undesirable;
- when processing before sprouts appear, care must be taken to ensure that the drug does not penetrate below the seed level;
- when applying after emergence, it is necessary to wait for 3 - 5 leaves;
- spraying on leaves is highly effective, but only if additional agents are used simultaneously to improve the fixation of the solution on the leaves. Otherwise, most of the herbicide will not work;
- you need to remember that some of the components of the drug can penetrate into the corn itself, so the last treatment should be done no later than 1 month before harvesting the cobs.
Conclusion
Corn herbicide is an effective and reliable means of getting rid of weeds on the site.The correct choice of the drug guarantees the rapid destruction of weeds and long-term protection against their appearance.
