Corn Crop Production: Growth, Fertilization And Yield

Sustainable production of a corn (Zea mays L.) crop as grain corn for feed, food and biofuels, as sweet corn for fresh market or processing, and as silage of high energy source, requires scientific management of nutrients along with several other crop management practices such as proper plant population density (PPD), timely seeding and harvesting, soil water, weeds and pests management. This chapter reviews the recent advances on corn nutrients management in relation to crop development, yield formation, economic consideration and environmental sustainability of corn production. Corn types, physiological basis of corn yield, nutrients uptake and partitioning by different types of corn will be briefly reviewed. Critical timing of nutrients requirements by a corn plant, factors affecting nutrients uptake, removal and utilization efficiencies are discussed under different crop rotations, cropping systems, and growing environments. Recent approaches of determining/predicting corn nutrients requirements such as crop-based indicators, site-specific nutrients management and variable rates application for the sustainable nutrients management are discussed along with the conventional soil test and plant tissue test approaches. Impacts of manures and fertilizers and methods, timing, and rates of their applications on the crop yield and environment such as nitrate (NO3--N) leaching, ammonia (NH3) volatilization and greenhouse gas emissions such as nitrous oxide (N2O) from corn fields are also outlined. The concept, importance and practical approaches of integrated plant nutrients management (IPNM) for corn production are also discussed. Finally, the importance of corn residue for biofuel (ethanol) production is discussed in relation to its impact on soil fertility.