The best varieties of corn: photo, description

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Sweet big corn is one of the favorite dishes of almost everyone, a kind of pleasant memory from childhood, especially intensified at the beginning of the summer season. A popular plant, a native of America, was cultivated in ancient times by the ancient Mayans and Aztecs.

Corn is the slender queen of fields

On an industrial scale, this crop is grown mainly for fodder purposes, however, it has adequately found its niche in many summer cottages and garden plots, where corn varieties are presented in all their diversity. Moreover, home cultivation significantly “cultivated” the tall beauty, depriving her of the ability to self-sow and grow in her former, wild state.

Now this culture is monoecious, has separate inflorescences and is cross-pollinated. Some gardeners use artificial pollination - for this they pluck the spikelets at the top of the stem (male flowers) and shake them over flowering cobs (female-type flowers).

Description and external characteristics

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

The stems of the plant are erect, can reach a height of 6 meters (depending on the variety of corn). Male inflorescences are located at the top of the stem in the form of panicles, and female ones are hidden in the axils of the leaves. The mass of such a complex ear, which is a corn cob, ranges from 35 to 500 grams.

All existing varieties of corn are divided into several main types according to grain structure and direction of use. Below are the main ones in the context of varieties.

Sweet corn varieties

Sweet corn is the most popular and favorite, especially during its milky-waxy ripeness; a tasty ingredient in many salads, it is the basis of many high-yielding hybrids. Upon reaching full maturity, corn accumulates a significant amount of sugars. The surface of the grains is wrinkled, they themselves are vitreous in section. Sweet corn is successfully used in the canning industry.

The most demanded and popular varieties of sweet corn are Ice Nectar, Early Golden 401, Spirit, Lakomka 121, Dobrynya, Sundance.

Spirit

Is a new hybrid and a prominent representative of the sweet corn variety; suitable for almost all regions of Russia. It is characterized by grains of bright yellow color, which are collected in cobs up to 20 cm in size. The taste is delicately sweet (due to the high content of sugar in the grains), the pulp is quite juicy. The plant has a 2-meter height. When this variety is grown from seedlings and planted outdoors at the end of May, Spirit corn will delight you with a high-quality crop after 2 months.

Dobrynya

Hybrid, characterized by early maturation. Planting is done in May, after 70 days you can collect ripe cobs. It has a sweet taste and impressive cobs. The height of the plant is approximately 170 cm, the formation of ears occurs starting from a height of 70 cm. Excellent for fresh consumption, freezing, canning. Grows in any soil and has good disease resistance.

Gourmet 121

The variety is characterized by high yields and resistance to various diseases. The growing season 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 cobs of the Lakomka 121 variety are very tasty when boiled, and 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. Corn cobs can reach a length of 22 cm, which indicates their considerable size.

Sundance

Has slightly elongated yellow grains that are great for canning and eating fresh. On each bush, low in stature, two cobs up to 20 cm long and up to 5 cm in diameter are formed. This variety is sown at the end of May and ripens within 70-95 days.

Early Gold 401

This variety is short growing and has a growing season of approximately 90 days. High disease resistance. Medium drought tolerance. Cob weight - up to 190 grams. Yellow grain with high taste characteristics.

Tooth corn: description and varieties

Characterized by large cobs, strong stems, high yield and good silage yield. In America, it is the main type of corn grown commercially and used for animal feed purposes. Its grains resemble a tooth in shape and have a depression at the top, which is formed during ripening. Plants usually do not bush, the grain contains up to 75% starch and is used to produce alcohol, flour and cereals.

Odesskaya 10 and Sterling are prominent representatives of dentate corn varieties.

Odesskaya 10

Late-ripening variety that gives a significant yield of green mass and a low yield of grains. Most often grown for silage.

Sterling

Mid-late high-yielding variety, released in almost all zones of corn cultivation.

Silicon corn: characteristics of varieties

It has a powerful smooth grain (without depressions, rounded on top) of white or yellow color, which consists almost entirely of starch. This type 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 dentled to semi-tooth corn.

The most common varieties of corn are Voronezhskaya 80, Voronezhskaya 76, Severodakotskaya.

Voronezh 80

Early hybrid that matures in 70 days. It is valued for its unpretentious care and high sugar content. The size of the cobs is from 20 to 25 cm, the height of the plant is 170 cm. It is used in canning. Seeds for next year's crops cannot be used. Zoned in the Sakhalin region and the northern regions of Siberia.

Voronezh 76

Early variety. It ripens in almost all regions of the central black earth zone.

North Dakota

Mid-early variety. Planted in the southern and southeastern regions of Russia.

Popcorn popcorn varieties

In appearance, the description of corn varieties of this type is similar: the grains are smooth and shiny, burst when heated. It was this look that became the basis for the emergence of everyone's favorite popcorn. The plant is characterized by good bushiness, a large number of cobs, the presence of a significant number of leaves.

The best varieties of corn for popcorn are Vulkan, Oerlikon, Dneprovskaya 925.

Volcano

Characterized by the excellent taste of roasted grains and its high percentage of increase. A variety of corn for popcorn is medium-early, drought-resistant, high-yielding, plant height - up to 220 cm. Cob length - about 22 cm. Grown in forest-steppe and steppe regions.

Oerlikon

Mid-earlyvariety, characterized by excellent taste and pleasant aroma. Used to make popcorn, corn flakes and sticks.

Other types of corn

• Waxy corn. Seeds of the variety of this subspecies are characterized by smoothness and dullness of the peel. In cross section, the structure of the grain resembles wax. Such a species, whose varietal diversity is rather limited, is very popular in China.
• Starchy corn. One of the oldest on the planet. It is most common in the south of North America and in the countries of South America. Varieties of corn (a photo of a plant can often be seen on many specialized resources) are characterized by late ripening. Plants of medium height, have many leaves, medium to strong tillering. The grain is rounded, matte, smooth, has a convex top. Starch content - up to 80%.
• Shelled corn. In industry, this type is not used due to the complexity of processing, because not only the cob, but also each grain is covered with individual wrappers.
• Sharp grain (nosed) corn. It has no special value, and therefore is not very common.

Fashion novelty - Hopi corn

This variety of corn is different from the rest and has its own zest - an unusual, unusual black and purple color of the grains, caused by the presence of a special enzyme.

Growed mainly in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The taste is sweet and delicate, with a pronounced nutty tinge. This variety was found inHopi Indian tribes, which formed the basis of its name. It can be assumed that this is a very ancient type of plant, which was replaced by the familiar bright yellow or orange corn. This "purple" variety, which has many varieties differing in color, has occupied a worthy niche in the consumer market and is widely used in cosmetology, in the manufacture of mixtures and blue corn chips. Based on blue grains, the popular alcoholic drink "Chicha Morado" is prepared. Hopi corn has many varieties, the color range of which is quite wide: from light gray to almost black. Several colors can be combined on one cob, which makes these varieties of corn decorative.

Forage corn varieties

Fodder varieties of corn, the purpose of which is to obtain a significant amount of silage for feeding livestock, include such varieties as the Kuban early-ripening hybrid, Aurika, Viola, Saratov sugar, Golden Fleece, Zhemchug. Feed corn, varieties of which are characterized by a high degree of foliage, is also used to obtain high-quality grain.

Boarding rules

It is desirable to plant corn in sunny places; she is picky about the choice of soil, but still prefers light and well-warmed lands. Legumes, winter crops, tilled crops and spring wheat can be the forerunners of tall crops. It can also be planted after tomatoes, root crops and gourds.

A huge role in obtaining rich and high-qualityThe fertility of the soil plays a role in the harvest, so it is imperative to carry out top dressing (organic and mineral). In autumn digging, rotted manure and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers can be applied to the ground. In spring, the site is pre-leveled with a rake before planting (to remove the surface crust and break up clods of earth).

Corn should be planted in soil warmed up to 12 ^oC, this happens around the end of April; seeds are planted to a depth of about 7 cm. On the eve of planting, about a day in advance, it is recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers (for 10 m^{2 - 200 grams) and loosen the ground to a depth of 10 cm.}

Acceleration of seed germination can be ensured by pre-soaking them in warm water. To do this, they should be placed in a gauze bag, which should be put in a sunny place 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 open ground. In the field, the first shoots will please about the 12th day.

Many amateur gardeners plant ready-made seedlings of corn, which are usually 30 days old at planting, in order to get a crop in a short time.

Sowing corn is required to be done in rows, the distance between rows is 60 cm, between plants - 40 cm. Seeds are planted to a depth of 3-4 cm in a well-watered hole. Of the shoots that have appeared, which may be several (sinceseveral seeds are placed in the hole in order to guarantee their germination), the strongest plant should be left, the rest should be discarded.

When planting corn, you can use the conveyor method, that is, plants with different ripening periods should be planted at intervals of 15 days. This will ensure continuous harvest throughout the summer.

Feeding plants

Feeding corn should be done when the plant has six leaves. During this period, you can make compost, humus, mullein, chicken manure. In addition to organic matter, liquid ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potash fertilizers are applied to the aisles.

The lack of trace elements required by the plant can be determined by the appearance of corn. With short stature and pale leaves, there is a lack of nitrogen; if in the early stages of plant development its slow growth is observed, and the edges of the leaves acquire a purple hue, then the culture does not have enough phosphorus. Abnormal waviness of the leaves and a change in their color (from pale to dark brown) indicate a lack of potassium.

Features of care

After planting, corn growth is slow for some time, so loosening and weeding is required (about 3 times during the growing season) in order to enrich the soil with oxygen and remove the top earth crust. Intensive growth of corn begins after the appearance of the eighth leaf; during this period, the daily increase can be 5-6 cm.cut off so that they do not interfere with the development of young cobs and the growth of the plant. Unwanted side shoots can be caused by low temperatures early in the growing season, excessive fertilization, and thin seeding.

Irrigation of corn, infrequent and plentiful (water should penetrate to a depth of 10-15 cm), is required during the laying and ripening of young cobs.