Choosing the right type of maize seeds
Seed quality depends partly on the health and vigor of the plant that produced it, as well as the care used in picking, drying, and sorting it. Seed grown under weather stress (drought, too wet, etc.) should be avoided.
It is very important to choose seed that is suited to your climate and soil, and for a desired maturation time. If you are growing corn for silage, choose a longer maturation time than if you want grain, since silage is harvested at an earlier stage of maturation. Another thing to remember is that 120-day corn, for example, may not mature in exactly 120 days. Growth can be slowed by unfavorable weather (too cold or too hot, drought, flooding) or nutrient deficiency, and it can be speeded up by optimal weather and soil nutrition, sometimes by as much as ten days to two weeks. A more exact way of measuring time to maturity is growing degree days (GDD). Growing degree days are calculated for each 24-hour day and added throughout the season.
If you don’t have a minimum-maximum thermometer, you can use figures from the nearest weather station. If the temperature goes below 50°F, substitute 50° for the minimum temperature, and if it goes above 86°F, substitute 86° for the maximum.
Seed should be chosen that contains desirable nutrient characteristics if you are growing grain or silage to feed animals. Among the hybrid varieties, there is a wide difference in protein quality and quantity. Most corn varieties are low in three essential amino acids, lysine, methionine, and tryptophan, so new hybrid varieties, generally called high-lysine corn, were developed.