Your Corn Has Never Been Happier

Real-time monitoring and AI-driven analysis of your corn fields

Order now

Common types

Sweet corn

Grown for human consumption, known for its sweet taste.

Pod corn

Known for high starch content and has low commercial value.

Dent corn

Primarily used for livestock feed and industrial uses.

Popcorn

A variety that puffs when heated.

Flint corn

Characterized by its hard outer shell and is mainly used for cornmeal.

Corn: Key Facts

Corn, also known as maize, is among the most important cereal crops. It is suitable for both small farms and large commercial operations, and its production keeps growing — from 1157 Mt in the 2022/2023 season to 1220 Mt in 2023/2024 globally. Due to its high adaptability, it is grown in a wide range of environments, with key producers being the US, China, Brazil, Europe, Argentina, India, and Ukraine. In general, this crop thrives in warm climates and prefers well-drained soils.

Corn is a key ingredient in numerous foods, such as cornmeal, corn flour, tortillas, popcorn, canned corn, corn syrup, and many others. In addition to food production, corn is also cultivated as livestock feed and for industrial applications, such as biofuels, biodegradable plastics, ethanol, industrial chemicals, and fibers. Many farmers also incorporate it into crop rotation, for example, with legumes like soybean, to disrupt pest buildup and improve soil fertility.

Height

5 to 12 feet (1.5 to 3.6 m)

Yield per acre

150 to 300 bushels per acre (2.35 to 4.47 tonnes per hectare)

Pollination

Cross-pollination; the wind carries pollen from the male flowers to the female flowers on the same or nearby plants.

Roots

A fibrous root system extending 6.5 to 10 feet deep (2-3 m) and spreading horizontally for up to 4 feet (120 cm).

Irrigation needs

About 200 liters of water per plant during the growing season. With a density of 40,000 plants per hectare, all plants consume about 8 million liters of water, which is equivalent to 80 liters per 1 m² or 800 mm of precipitation.

Geography

Corn is grown worldwide with the largest producers being the United States and China; main exporters—the US, Argentina, Brazil, and Ukraine.

Climate

Warm climates with temperatures between 60°F and 86°F (15°C to 30°C) during a growing season.

Season

Usually planted in late spring and harvested in late summer to early fall.

Growth cycle duration

Typically about 60 to 180 days from planting to harvest, depending on the variety and environmental conditions.

Soil

Prefers well-drained, fertile soils with high organic matter content.

5.6 to 7.5

Corn Phenophases and Signs to Look Out For

Germination and emergence

The seed absorbs water, swells, and sprouts. The first shoot pushes through the soil to form the first leaf, and the primary root starts developing.

Common threats and diseases: Poor germination because of low temperatures. Seed rot, fungal diseases like Pythium seedling blight and damping-off. Birds, cutworms, and insects attacking emerging seedlings.

Signs to watch: Slow or uneven emergence, bare patches in fields; yellow, wilting, or decayed seedlings.

Vegetative stages (V1 to Vn)

New leaves emerge, and each new visible leaf collar indicates a new vegetative stage. The plant actively grows, and roots develop deeper.

Common threats and diseases: Insects (cutworms, rootworms), nutrient deficiencies, fungal diseases (Northern corn leaf blight, common rust).

Signs to watch: Yellowing or discoloration, lesions or spots on leaves, leaf damage caused by insects, stunted growth or abnormal leaf development.

Tasseling (VT)

A male flower (tassel) emerges from the top of the plant and produces pollen.

Common threats and diseases: Leaf blights, insects, environmental stress (drought and heat can affect pollen)

Signs to watch: Irregular or incomplete tassel development; yellowing, lesions, or dead patches on leaves due to fungal infections; browning or drying of leaf tips because of drought stress

Silking (R1)

Female flower structures (silks) emerge. Corn is cross-pollinated, and pollen from the tassels lands on the silks of the nearby plants, leading to the formation of kernels.

Common threats and diseases: Corn rootworm beetles and other insects, fungal diseases (Fusarium and Aspergillus ear rots), drought

Signs to watch: Short or dry silks; prematurely browning silks turning brown prematurely, insect damage; uneven kernel development

Blister stage (R2)

The kernels begin to develop. They are white and resemble small blisters, containing mostly water and beginning to accumulate starch. The nutrient and water needs are very high at this stage.

Common threats and diseases: Fusarium and Aspergillus ear rots, corn earworms and other insects, drought stress

Signs to watch: Mold or discoloration on kernels, ear rot, drying kernels, insect-related damage, a decrease in kernel size

Milk stage (R3)

The composition of kernels changes, with the milky fluid containing less water and more sugars and starch. Kernels continue growing, thicken, and turn from white to light yellow.

Common threats and diseases: Corn earworm, fall armyworm; mycotoxins produced by fungi; environmental stress like heat or drought

Signs to watch: Insects feeding on kernels; mold or fungal growth; stunted kernels; poor grain fill

Dough stage (R4)

The kernels’ contents become dough-like due to increased amounts of starch in their composition and become yellow. The ears increase in weight.

Common threats and diseases: Drought or heat stress, kernel rots; insect pests

Signs to watch: Shrinking kernels, uneven grain fill, symptoms of fungal disease, like white or pink mold

Dent stage (R5)

Starch accumulation nears completion. Kernels dry and harden, and a visible dent begins to form at the top of each kernel. As the kernel is approaching maturity, its “milk line” moves closer to the base, representing lower content or soft starch and higher content of solidifying one.

Common threats and diseases: Kernel rot caused by moisture, late-season insect damage

Signs to watch: Mold or discoloration around the dent area, weak or rotting stalks

Physiological maturity (R6)

A black layer forms at the base of each kernel, showing that the kernels have reached their maximum dry weight, and nutrient and water flow to the kernels stops. The plant begins to dry down. Once the moisture content drops down to 15-20%, corn is ready for harvesting.

Common threats and diseases: Stalk lodging, late-season fungal infections, harvest timing issues

Signs to watch: Discoloration or mold on ears, wilting or falling plants.

Try Now

Always data-based: Explore our clients’ results

USA

Remote detection of herbicide effectiveness

Corn, 16 May 2024

Corn, 18 May 2024

Corn, 10 June 2024

Cropler’s agri-camera helped farmers observe the presence of weeds in the field and apply herbicide timely. The camera continued to monitor the field 24/7 and sent photo data to a web platform three times a day. The effectiveness of the herbicide was evident as the weeds started to disappear.

Outcome: At the end of the monitoring period, corn was growing in the field with no visible weeds. Photo monitoring made it possible to observe the changes in the field without additional time-consuming and costly scouting.

Ukraine

Kolos farm

Detecting the presence of insects and pests remotely

Rapeseed, 23 April 2024

Rapeseed, 27 April 2024

Rapeseed, 30 April 2024

The farm's agronomist monitored a pheromone trap in the rapeseed field with Cropler’s camera. Daily photo series showed the dynamics of insect emergence and helped to notice a significant increase in their numbers by the end of April.

Outcome: Due to photo monitoring, it was possible to detect the presence of pests in the field faster, without the need for daily in-person checks of the pheromone trap.

Cropler helps in many ways

Our goal is to help you monitor crop health day by day

Monitor plant health remotely 24/7

Choose the best time to irrigate and fertilize

Act quickly in the case of diseases or pests

Plan harvesting and estimate yield potential