What are the symptoms of zinc deficiency in corn?

Corn is a common grain crop. It is rich in vitamin A and fat and is a common delicacy on people's tables. At the same time, eating corn regularly is good for people's eyesight because it is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, which can protect the photosensitive area in the eye called the macula. However, corn is one of the crops that is more sensitive to zinc. Due to the large-scale application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, the problem of zinc deficiency in corn is becoming more and more serious, which has a great impact on the nutritional value of corn. Below I will introduce to you the symptoms of zinc deficiency in corn.

[Symptoms] Zinc deficiency in corn is commonly known as "mosaic stripe disease" and "white seedlings". "White seedlings" are symptoms in the seedling stage. After germination, the new young leaves are light yellow jade white, especially in the base 2/3. After jointing, yellow streaks appear on both sides of the midrib of the diseased leaves. In severe cases, the diseased leaves become wide, white patches and the leaf flesh disappears. When it is semi-transparent, it looks like white silk. Later, the affected area turns purple-red and gradually thickens into a purple-red patch. The diseased leaves are easily torn by wind; the internodes of diseased plants are shortened and dwarfed; the tasseling and silking are delayed, and some cannot silk at all; or they can silk and ear, but the ears are poorly developed, forming "sparse and shabby" corn cobs.

[Diagnostic points] In the seedling stage, the veins of new leaves turn green, and yellow stripes appear between the veins of the middle and upper leaves. In the middle and late stages, the veins of old leaves also turn green, and a wide yellow band is formed between the leaf edge and the main vein. It is normal for the leaves to contain 20 to 50 micrograms/gram of zinc, and less than 20 micrograms/gram is a deficiency. In addition, a phosphorus-zinc ratio (P/ZN) greater than 100 during the flowering period can be used as an indicator of zinc deficiency.

[Correction method] Basal zinc fertilizer, 15 to 30 kilograms of zinc sulfate per hectare, can be used for spring corn; in summer corn, if there is no time for basal application and zinc deficiency occurs, it can be sprayed on the leaves, use 0.2% zinc sulfate solution, spray 2 to 3 times during the seedling and jointing stages, or it can be applied on both sides of the corn seedlings during the seedling stage. When sowing, for zinc-deficient plots, seeds can be treated with 4 to 6 grams of zinc sulfate per kilogram of seeds, add appropriate amount of water to dissolve, and then soak or mix the seeds.

[Conditions prone to occur] Low effective zinc content in the soil, calcareous soil pH greater than 7, low temperatures in early spring; excessive application of phosphate fertilizer can lead to zinc deficiency.

The above are the symptoms of zinc deficiency in corn that I introduced to you. Farmers must pay more attention when planting corn. Fertilizer should be applied in moderation. At the same time, suitable soil and fertilization techniques should be selected to reduce the occurrence of zinc deficiency in corn. In addition, corn is very beneficial to human health, and everyone can eat more corn in their lives. Especially when corn is eaten with many ingredients, such as eggs, wheat, etc., the nutritional value will be higher.