I already have an account

Access all your information and services on your personnal space.

I have no account

You don't use our tool ? Contact us, we will guide you along the way !

growing maize

Key Growth Stages of Maize

Optimise your crop yield

The 8 key growth stages of maize for crop management.

 

8 key stage growing maize

 

1. Emergence

  • Maize requires a soil temperature of 10°C required for germination  
  • Seeds need sufficiently fine and moist soil around
  • Average of 12-17 days required to reach emergence, depending on soil temperature 

emergence stage

2. Weaning: 4-5 leaf stage

  • Appearance of new roots (crown roots)
  • The plant is no longer dependent of the seed’s reserves – it is weaned 
  • Sensitivity to nutrient deficiencies, phosphorous in particular
  • Final plant density determined

weaning stage

3. Initiation of Ears: 8-10 leaf stage

  • Initiation of the ears (number of rows)  
  • At 10 leaves we reach the elongation stage. Great need for water and nutrients  
  • Plant is sensitive to cold temperatures (<8°C), low sunlight and to the application of herbicides

Inititiation of ears

 

4. Tassel Visible

  • Plant stage that determines the number of ears per plant
  • The number of ovules is 90% established 
  • At this growth stage there is a great sensitivity to lack of water and nitrogen

initiation

5. Female Flowering  

  • Fertilization of ovules by pollen  
  • High sensitivity to water deficit:
    • If water stress, grain development can be disrupted
    • High temperatures can cause no exit of the bristles
    • Fertilization problems can cause disturbed grain development

flowering stage

 

6. Grain Abortion Limit Stage  

  • Beyond this stage, grain abortions are no longer possible
  • Happens at 3 weeks after fertilization, i.e. 250 dd after flowering
  • Final number of grains  
  • Stage marking the end of maximum sensitivity to water stress

grain abortion

7. Doughy Grain Stage

  • 50% moisture stage
  • Last irrigation stage = 32% whole plant DM stage

 

 

8. Black Layer

  • Grain physiological maturity – end of grain fill  
  • Grain moisture at 32%
  • Formation of black layer: closing of vessels between grains and cob

black layer

 

To get more details about the key growth stages of maize, click here!

 

growing maize top yields

Corn Silage Grain

A lire aussi

wosr field

Growing Winter Oilseed Rape

Rapeseed

Grain

Read the doc
Harvesting Alfalfa

Harvesting your Alfalfa

Alfalfa

Grain

Read the doc
Alfalfa field for fertilization

Maximising the Potential of Your Alfalfa

Alfalfa

Grain

Read the doc