The best varieties of corn: photo, description

Sweet large corn is one of the favorite dishes of almost every person, a kind of pleasant memory from childhood, especially amplified at the beginning of the summer season. A popular plant, native to America, was cultivated in ancient times by the ancient Maya and Aztecs.

Corn - a harmonious queen of fields

On an industrial scale, this crop is grown mainly for feed purposes, but has adequately found its niche in many garden and garden areas, where maize varieties are represented in all their diversity. And home-grown significantly "okultirilo" tall-haired beauty, depriving her of the ability to self-seed and growth in her former, wild condition. Now this culture is monoecious, has separate inflorescences and is cross-pollinated. Some gardeners use artificial doopylenie - for this they tear off spikelets on the top of the stem (male flowers) and shake them over blooming cobs (flowers of female type).

Description and external characteristics

The root system of almost every maize variety is quite powerful and goes underground under a depth of about 1.5 meters. In passing, the formation of additional (supporting) roots on the stem, causing a more dense fixation of the plant in the soil and contributing to the optimal absorption and retention of water and minerals.

The stems of the plant are upright, they can reach a 6-meter height (depending on the type of corn). Male inflorescences are on the top of the stem in the form of panicles, and female ones are hidden in the axils of the leaves. The weight of such a complex ear, which is a corn cob, is from 35 to 500 grams.

All existing maize varieties in terms of grain structure and use are divided into several main types. Below are the main ones in terms of varieties.

Varieties of sweet corn

Sugar corn is the most popular and favorite, especially during its milky-wax ripeness; A delicious ingredient in many salads, is the basis of many deduced high-yielding hybrids. Upon reaching full maturity, corn accumulates a significant amount of sugars. The surface of the grains is wrinkled, they are in the section - glassy. Sugar corn is successfully used in the canning industry.

The most popular and popular varieties of sugar corn are Ice Nectar, Early Gold 401, Spirit, Gourmand 121, Dobrynia, Sundance.

Spirit

It is a new hybrid and a vivid representative of a sugar maize variety; Suitable for almost all regions of Russia. Characterized by grains of bright yellow color, which are collected in the cobs up to 20 cm in size. The palate is sweet and sweet (due to the high content of sugar in the grains), the pulp is juicy enough. The plant has a 2-meter height. When growing this kind of seedling and planting in the open ground at the end of May, maize Spirit will be pleased with a high-quality crop after 2 months.

Dobrinya

Hybrid, characterized by early maturation. The planting is carried out in May, after 70 days it is possible to collect ripened cobs. It has a sweet taste and impressive sizes of cobs. The height of the plant is approximately 170 cm, the formation of cobs occurs, starting at a height of 70 cm. Great for fresh use, freezing, canning. It grows on any soil and has good resistance to diseases.

Gourmand 121

The variety is characterized by high yields and resistance to various diseases. Vegetation period is 70-75 days. The height of the plant is about 1.5 meters. The length of the cob is up to 20 cm. In the phase of milk maturity, the cucumbers of Gamkom 121 are very tasty in boiled form, they are also used for freezing and canning.

Ice Nectar

Late-ripening variety, characterized by excellent taste and good yield. Among the rest is considered the sweetest. Corncobs can reach a length of 22 cm, which indicates their considerable size.

Sundance

Has slightly elongated yellow grains, which are excellent for canning and fresh consumption. On each bush, low in height, two cobs are formed up to 20 cm in length, up to 5 cm in diameter. This variety is sown in late May and ripens during 70-95 days.

Early Gold 401

This variety is a short, vegetative period - about 90 days. High resistance to diseases. Average resistance to drought. Cob weight - up to 190 grams. Grain yellow color with high taste characteristics.

Tooth-like corn: description and variety

Characterized by large cobs, powerful stems, high yield and good yield of silage. In America, this is the main type of corn, growing on an industrial scale and used in animal husbandry for feed purposes. Its grain resembles a tooth in shape and has a groove at the top that forms when it ripens. Plants do not usually bush, the grain contains up to 75% of starch and is used to produce alcohol, flour and cereals.

Bright representatives of tooth-like varieties of maize are Odessa 10 and Sterling.

Odessa 10

Late-ripened variety, yielding a significant yield of green mass and low - grain. Most often it is grown for silage.

Sterling

The medium late high-yielding variety is zoned almost in all areas of corn cultivation.

Siliceous corn: characteristics of varieties

Has a powerful smooth grain (without hollows, from above round) of white or yellow color, which almost entirely consists of starch. This species serves as the basis for the production of corn sticks and flakes and is the most common on the planet. Crossing such a subspecies of corn with a dentition led to the appearance of a semi-toothed corn.

The most common are such maize varieties as Voronezhskaya 80, Voronezhskaya 76, Severodakotskaya.

Voronezh 80

An early hybrid, which ripens in 70 days. Appreciated for unpretentious care and high sugar content. The size of the ears is from 20 to 25 cm, the height of the plant is 170 cm. It is used in canning. Seeds for crops of the next year can not be used. It is zoned in the Sakhalin region and northern regions of Siberia.

Voronezh 76

Early ripening variety. It ripens in practically all regions of the central-chernozem strip.

Severodakotskaya

Medium-early variety. It lands in the southern and south-eastern regions of Russia.

Corn poppers: popcorn varieties

According to external signs, the description of maize varieties of this type is similar: the grains are smooth and shiny, they burst when heated. It was this kind that became the basis for the appearance of everyone's favorite popcorn. The plant is characterized by good bushiness, a large number of ears, the presence of a significant number of leaves. The best varieties of corn for popcorn are Vulcan, Oerlikon, Dneprovskaya 925.

Volcano

Characterized by the excellent taste of toasted grain and its high percentage increase. The maize variety for popcorn is medium-early, drought-resistant, high-yielding, the height of the plant is up to 220 cm. The length of the cob is about 22 cm. It is cultivated in the forest-steppe and steppe regions.

Oerlikon

Medium-early variety, characterized by excellent taste and pleasant aroma. Used for cooking popcorn, cornflakes and chopsticks.

Other types of corn

• Waxy corn. Seeds of this variety are characterized by smoothness and mattness of the peel. In the section, the grain structure resembles wax. This species, whose variety variety is rather limited, is very popular in China.
• Starch corn . One of the most ancient on the planet. The most common in the south of North America and in South America. Varieties of corn (photos of plants can often be seen on many specialized resources) are characterized by late maturation. Plants of medium height, have many leaves, medium and strong bushiness. The grain is round, matte, smooth, has a convex top. The starch content is up to 80%.
• Corn corn. In industry, this kind is not used in connection with the complexity of processing, because not only the cob, but each grain are covered with individual wrappers.
• Sparse (nosed) corn . It has no special value, therefore it is not widely distributed.

Fashionable novelty - corn Hopi

This variety of maize differs from the others and has its own flavor - an unusual, unusual black-violet color of grains, caused by the presence of a special enzyme. It is grown mainly in the south-west of the USA and in the northern part of Mexico. The taste is sweet and tender, with a pronounced nutty hue. Such a variety was found in the Indian tribes of Hopi, which formed the basis of its name. It can be assumed that this is a very ancient plant species that has been replaced by the usual bright yellow or orange corn. This "violet" variety, which has many different in color varieties, has occupied a worthy niche in the consumer market and is widely used in cosmetology, in the manufacture of mixtures and blue corn chips. On the basis of blue grains, a popular alcoholic drink "Chicha Morado" is prepared. Corn Hopi has many varieties, the color range of which is quite wide: from light gray to almost black. In one cob, several colors can be combined, which makes such varieties of corn decorative.

Feed varieties of maize

To fodder varieties of corn, the purpose of growing which is to obtain a significant amount of silage for feeding livestock, it is possible to classify such varieties as the Kuban early hybrid, Aurika, Viola, Saratov sugar, Golden Fleece, Pearl. Corn fodder, whose varieties are characterized by a high degree of lining, is also used to produce quality grain.

Landing rules

It is desirable to plant corn on sunny places; It is not choosy to select the soil, but still prefers light and well-warmed land. Precursors of a tall culture can be legumes, winter crops, row crops and spring wheat. Also it can be planted after tomatoes, root crops and melons.

The great role in obtaining a rich and high-quality crop is played by the fertility of the soil, so it is necessary to carry out fertilizing (organic and mineral). In the autumn digging into the earth, it is possible to add manure and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. In the spring, the area before planting is pre-leveled with rakes (to remove the surface crust and break up the lumps of earth).

The planting of corn should be carried out in soil heated to 12 ° C, this occurs around the end of April; Seeds are embedded to a depth of about 7 cm. On the eve of planting, about a day, it is recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers (10 m ² - 200 grams) and loosening the ground to a depth of 10 cm.

Acceleration of germination of seeds can be ensured by pre-soaking them in warm water. To do this, they should be placed in a gauze pouch, which is put on a sunny day for 4 days, and then placed in a solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. Then the seeds should be washed, placed in a container and put in a warm place. After 3-4 days, small roots will appear, just then the seeds can be planted in the open ground. In the field, the first shoots will please approximately on the 12th day.

Many amateur gardeners in order to obtain a crop in a short time plant ready seedlings of corn, the age of which during the landing is usually 30 days.

Sowing of corn is required to produce rows, the distance between rows is 60 cm, between plants - 40 cm. Plant seeds to a depth of 3-4 cm in a well-watered fossa. Of the emerged sprouts, which may be several (since a few seeds fall into the hole for the purpose of their guaranteed germination), the strongest plant should be left, the rest must be disposed of.

When planting corn, you can use the conveyor method, that is, plants with different maturation periods should be planted with an interval of 15 days. This will ensure continuous harvesting throughout the summer.

Top dressing of a plant

Top dressing of corn should be done if the plant has six leaves. During this period, you can make compost, humus, mullein, chicken droppings. In the aisles, in addition to organic substances, ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium fertilizers are introduced in liquid form.

The shortage of microelements required by the plant can be determined by the appearance of corn. With the short stature and paleness of the leaves, there is a shortage of nitrogen; If in the early stages of plant development, its slow growth is observed, and the edges of the leaves acquire a violet shade - hence, the culture is not phosphorous. Abnormal corrugation of the leaves and change in their color (from pale to dark brown) indicate a lack of potassium.

Features of care

After planting for some time, the growth of maize is slow, so it is required to loosen and weed (about 3 times during the vegetation period) in order to enrich the soil with oxygen and remove the upper land crust. The intensive growth of corn begins after the appearance of the eighth leaf; During this period, the daily increment can be 5-6 cm. With the formation of side shoots in the maize - stepchildren - the latter should be cut off so that they do not interfere with the development of young ears and plant growth. The reasons for the formation of undesirable side shoots may be low temperatures in the early stages of vegetation, the introduction of excessive amounts of fertilizers, as well as sparse seeding.

Watering the corn, infrequent and abundant (water must penetrate to a depth of 10-15 cm), it is required to perform during the period of laying and ripening of young cobs.