Why is my corn cob red?

There are several possible causes of corn cobs malformations mentioned in several University of Kansas studies.

It is difficult for producers to solve a problem when the origin is environmental. The corn is in R1 and unfavorable environmental conditions are more important than female flowering.

The formation of the ear begins around V5 or V6 and around V15 the number of rows and grains per row that the ear will have is already defined.

There are brief descriptions of the main abnormality in corn ears.

The ears are arrested.

The abnormality is created before the stigma emission stage, which causes the ovules to be non-receptive during the pollination process. The main cause is still unknown but it is believed to be related to a condition that occurred before flowering. The use of nonionic surfactants mixed with fungicides can cause this abnormality according to some reports.

Figure 1

There are banana shaped ears.

The ears are shaped like a banana fruit. The ears tend to twist due to the abortion of complete or partial rows of kernels, that is, there are an equal amount of kernels on different sides of the ear.

The anomalies are associated with adverse environmental conditions, poor application of herbicides, and high temperatures. Figure 2.

Multiple ears.

Several ears are found in the same part of the plant that does not complete the grain filling. The introduction to stages V5-V15 states that it may be associated with high temperatures during early ear formation. The wrong application of pesticides before female flowering is one of the causes. If you want to reduce the incidence of these problems and other possible ones, you should not make applications during the late stages.

It is advisable to avoid this type of application because of the sensitivity of hybrid. Figure 3

Ear diseases.

It is very likely that diseases will grow when the ears are exposed. The most common are Diplodia rot, Fusarium, and grain rot. In Diplodia, the infections usually occur in the last stages of the vegetative stage and three weeks after the reproductive stage. The exposure of the ears can make the problem worse.

Figure 4

Ear growth retardation.

The final number of grains is restricted because the ears do not grow. The main cause is still unknown, but it can also be due to bad applications of the chemicals. The size of the ear is formed in V5-V6 and can be affected by a variety of conditions.

This is also called a blunted ear syndrome. The susceptibility depends on the hybrid and in most cases no abnormality is seen in the ear. Figure 5

The ears are exposed.

Part of the ear is exposed due to an excessive growth of the ear.

It's clear that this type of ears will be affected by any type of stress. The associated conditions being mainly heat and drought is what Robert Nielsen from Purdue University suggests as the cause of this abnormality. Figure 6

The ears have red kernels.

The red kernels at the tip of the ear are the cause of this anomaly. The wheat mite produces "salivary phytotoxins" when it feeds. The quality of the grains is not affected, but they may suffer a price reduction when it comes to marketing. The sides of the kernels are usually the starting point for the reddish color.

The severity of the problem can be controlled by selecting more resistant hybrid. Figure 7

Grains in a group.

There are many causes that can cause the presence of malformations in ears of corn. The main ones are listed.

There are archeological traces of CORN.

The phenological stages of a maize plant can be seen in table 1.

The states are called vegetative.

The stage is related to emergence and germination. The appearance of the coleoptile on the ground takes place from the absorption of water by the seed.

The states in which reference is made to a specific number of sheets should be highlighted

Table 1 shows the phases of a corn plant. The scale is called the Hanway and Ritchie scale.

reproductive states.

There are discrepancies in the coB.

The interruption of their development is caused by aborted ears, which is a result of the pharoahy prior to the emission of silks. Grains are not formed because the ovules are no longer receptive to pollen.

The condition is thought to occur between stages V10 and V15. Some authors think that the application of fungicides is the cause of this disorder.

The ears have a somewhat curved appearance due to the abortion of complete or partial rows. There is an issue with the number of grains on both sides of the ear.

The abortion of grains can be caused by a variety of causes, from environmental to chemical, due to the use of suitable phytosanitary products.

The appearance of several ears in the same area of the plant is called multiple ears. It could be due to the use of products in pre-flowering that cause thermal stress during the early stages of ear formation.

The ears that are smaller than normal and contain a high number of kernels are called restricted ears orblunted ear syndrome.

It is believed that the occurrence of adverse environmental conditions during the V5-V6 period may be related to the cause of this physiopathy.

The ears are exposed when they have a bigger development than the other parts of their body. High temperature and dry weather conditions before and/or during pollination, combined with subsequent conditions of low temperatures and rain, are favorable for excessive spike growth, which is one of the main causes of this physiopathy.

Different colors of corn can be seen in different regions of the country. Despite the importance of the cultural identity of the country, their meaning is usually not well known.

The four colors that were fundamental to the philosophy of the Maya were: light, dark, sound and fury.

There were red, white, yellow and black. The four angles of the universe were explained to them.

The east or area where the sun rises is represented by red.

It means the beginning of everything.

The west is represented by the color black, and is identified with rest.

The north is white and is the pillar of wisdom. The resting place of the nahual of the Maya grandparents is there.

The south is represented in this way with yellow.

The Popol Vuh mention is made of these colors when referring to the four roads that must be traveled before reaching the city of Xibalb. They arrived where four roads intersect, where they were defeated. A red path, a black path, a white path, and a yellow path are all there.

According to the tradition of these peoples, maize of the four colors is important in the harvest in the indigenous communities of Guatemala.

White corn was used for the bones, yellow for the muscles, black corn for the eyes and hair, and red for the blood, for the creation of the human being.

Corn is part of an ancestral tradition that has great value for the beliefs of the people in these towns.