Corn Abuse

I personally feel that corn as a crop is being abused when it is used as a fuel all over the country. Corn is basically a part of our diet and should be used only for that purpose. In spite of so many people going hungry all over the world, we use corn as a fuel, when we could have easily used it to feed a large number of mouths.

Most people who advocate the use of corn as a fuel don’t realize that a large amount of fossil fuel is spent for the production of corn and all the other processes connected with it. Sadly most people forget that corn, when used as a fuel actually generates more carbon dioxide than the other fuels used. We could also have converted the large amount of land used for growing corn into natural forestland. This will bring down the global warming problem to a very large extent.

We also use a large amount of water and fertilizers for growing corn thus using additional resources for its production. Thus water is being utilized at a very fast pace, while the soil is getting polluted too. I therefore feel that the corn crop should not be used to produce ethanol. Instead we can look forward to cleaner fuel like hydrogen or other derivatives to run our vehicles.

Problems With Growing Corn

There are a number of common problems which can be faced by you when you decide to grow corn. You can take care of corn rootworm beetles by keeping a close watch when your corn is first producing silk. This silk is attacked by the beetle. It can affect the pollination process of the corn. To avoid rust or leaf blight, try to buy blight resistant seed in case you are in an area which has a warm and wet climate. In case you have heard cases of flea beetles causing Stewart’s bacteria wilt to the corn in your area, then get the seeds which show resistance to such a disease. You need to be careful as this disease can reduce the height of the young corn.

The rotting of the root is another common problem. You can solve this by improving the drainage of the soil. Corn can also get affected by a fungus which causes the kernel to turn gray and black. It’s better to plant corn varieties which are resistant to this type of fungus. Now that you know of most of the possible precautions that need to be taken, you can look forward to a healthy crop of corn the next time you decide to grow corn.