Best management practices (BMPs) are production methods, structures, and management practices designed to protect water quality while maintaining economic returns. Voluntary adoption of these practices by corn producers will help prevent contamination of water resources, improve public perception of the industry, and perhaps eliminate the need for further regulation and mandatory controls.
Affects all other management decisions throughout the growing season. Right plant. Right Place. Right time. Just like fertilizer, these principles ensure that we are maximizing opportunity for the corn plant to be successful. Characteristics that need to be considered include, but are not limited to the following list.
Planting of corn in Colorado may fall between April 15-June 1 depending on where you live in the state and which hybrid has been chosen for the growing year. Below is a table for the various regions and optimized dates of planting. Dryland corn can be planted later than irrigated to save some of the moisture in the soil profile for later growth stages of the plant. There is a map of each region in the BMP guide.
Determining population
There can be problems throughout the growing season, and this chapter helps with identifying problems growers may face during each growth stage of the plant.
Issues can be mechanical or living causes of plant dysfunction. Below are some techniques that can help track down the problem.
Integrated pest management (IPM) combines chemical control with cultural and biological practices to form a comprehensive program for managing pests.
Things to consider when contemplating a pest management decision are listed below.
There are numerous weed species in the corn fields of Colorado. It is important to know how to control and prevent weed establishment so that economic thresholds are not met. Crop and field rotation together with a good herbicide plan are effective ways to manage most weed issues. This chapter has illustrations to help with weed ID.
Even correctly applied herbicides can cause injury, but some common causes include:
This chapter has illustrations of injury caused by specific herbicides to help with injury ID.
Corn plants need at least 17 different nutrients to turn sunlight into a bountiful yield. The best way to know where your nutrients are currently at is to have your soil tested. Soil testing goes a long way in helping protect your bottom line.
Nutrient management: The 4 r’s
Nitrogen (N)
Phosphorus (P)
Potassium (K)
Sulfur (S)
Micronutrients
Manure
Stover bailing and removal considerations
Tillage systems choice is dependent on several factors.
These tillage choices have impacts on:
Tillage systems
Compaction
Some types of information that are worth keeping in your annual records include:
