Biology Group Project on Corn!

Acknowledgment:

First of all, we would like to thank God Almighty the most powerful and most merciful, for
giving us this valuable experience in our academic careers.

This project has come to fruition thanks to the key information of Mr. Babar Farid Sardar. He
is the CEO of Sardar Model Farms which is located in Jaranwala. It is a family owned farm since 1888 and
Mr. Babar took the reins in 2002. Since then the farm has grown immensely thanks to his degree in
Biology and Software Engineering. So much so that last year his farm made the record yield of 6.8 tons
of corn per acre in comparison to the country average of 2.8. Mr. Babar believes that these results have
been achieved thanks to the adoption of Research oriented ways which can be clearly seen through the
companies work ethic which in our opinion is a very fresh way of doing things in a country where people
still rely on traditional methods.

We’d also like to thank our instructor Mrs. Ayesha Saleem Khan for giving us this opportunity
to take our field research skills to the next level, not to mention the relaxation and room for error this
group project gives for our final grade.
Introduction:

Mr. Babar began the discussion by talking about the issues that they faced in the beginning. The
first and main issue was that the soil was calcareous in nature, which is soil that has calcium carbonate
(CaCo3) in abundance (according to Encyclopedia.com). Calcareous soil is generally wide spread around
the drier areas of the earth and are generally found in the forms of powder, nodules crusts etc. The
potential productivity of the soil is very high if provide with enough water and other nutrients. There is
however a lack of phosphorous which proves to be a deficiency for crops.

Furthermore, it usual suffers in terms of deficiency of micronutrients specifically zinc and iron. The
lack of zinc impacts maze crops immensely especially under conditions of high yield intensive farming.

{(Which can be referred to as the methods of food production which rely heavily on intensification and
mechanization of agricultural practices) (According to Pinduoduo-global.com)}

Mr. Babar also mentioned that the soil is High PH in nature and this (according to
goldenharvestseeds.com) has many adverse effects on corn which include:

 It brings down the effects of weed control by some herbicides.

 It brings rise to carryover problems by some herbicides. {(Residual herbicides remaining
active due to a lack of moisture in soil) (According to agric.wa.gov.au)}
 Promotes build-up of crop residue due to slower decomposition from lesser biological
activity.

*Image 1.1 describes the various areas around the globe that have calcareous soil*

In conclusion this was deemed as the main issue as it would hamper the yield of crops not to
mention the harmful affect’s on the quality of the final product.
Solutions:

After identifying these issues following the scientific method Mr. Babar started experimenting
using various techniques to solve the issues, among which the main being to balance the soil. He
further went on to say that “there is no silver bullet”. That being said Following are the various
methods explained in depth that not only allowed the growth of corn but also helped in
maintaining its quality and increased yield as well.

 Fungal Dominated Compost Tea:

It can be defined as a “water-based, oxygen rich culture containing large populations of
beneficial aerobic bacteria, nematodes, fungi, protozoa, which can be used to bio remediate
toxins” (according to Tool Box of sustainable living)
High quality fungal tea include a large variety of micro-organisms that then breakdown
the high amounts of calcium carbonate and balances the PH. Furthermore, by flooding the
various fungi through water, much of the area can be covered using less compost tea.
Following are the various kinds of compost tea:
1. Oriental medicinal herb compost
2. Vermicompost
3. Rice straw compost
4. Mixture of the three compost

*Image 1.2 shows the fungal dominated compost tea being used at Sardar Farms*
  Mechanization:
Another solution that helped improve the quality and the quantity of the crops
was the Corn Pneumatic plant. Its core components were imported from China whereas
the other components were locally made.
The corn pneumatic plant helped with the even distribution of crops. It is seen to
be quite effective as can be shown by the Australian Journal of Crop Science that studied
the various effects that occurred with different adjustments made to the plant during
distribution.
*Image 1.3 is an image of a corn pneumatic plant.
 Picket Fencing:
A problem that farmers face while growing corn is the uneven emergence of the
crop which results in inter competition between the crops to receive resources like:
 Sunlight
 Resource

To counter this issue Mr. Babar opted to adopt the picket fencing method to
promote and sustain even emergence. This method helps the crop stands to develop a good attachment
with the soil. The key to remember here is to take time while putting up the stands as the end product is
a high yield of corn.

*Image 1.4 is an example of picket fencing.

Understanding the Requirements:

Now that we have gone into depth regarding the soil and some of the potential solution’s that
Mr. Babar implemented. Let’s now discuss the various requirements to fulfil while growing the crops for
maximum yield while avoiding issues that may lead to many loses:

 Balanced Fertilizer:
One of the key aspects of good fertilizer is that it needs to be balanced. Mr
Babar uses C4 (Carbon four) based fertilizer which is a mix of nitrogen and potassium
which corn crops love (as was mentioned in soil problems).
There are also various micro nutrients which include:
 Zinc
 Boron
 Copper
 Molybdenum (MD)
 Cobalt
 Protection of Crops:
While growing crops farmers face various pests especially while growing corn.
To avoid this issue different kinds of pesticides are used which combat various pests. Mr.
Baber mentioned a couple in particular which are mentioned below:
 Pests:
The two main types of pests that are observed amongst the crops are “Shoot
fly” and “Fall Army”. The shoot fly tends to lay their eggs on the stem or near the
base of the seedling and there tends to be a larger infestation in shady areas as
compared to in the sun. The two pesticides that are used to get rid of these pests
are:
 Bascillus Terigen (B7) which is a rare pesticide in the market.
 Indigenous methods which include using Pepper.
 Stem Borer’s:
They feed on the leaves on the whorl and tunnel their way into the stalk or
they burrow into the base of the plant and move their way up through the centre of
the stalk. To counteract these pests Mr. Babar uses Rector super manufactured by
the Nawal Group. They exist in crystalline form and are coated with Emamectom.

*Add image of fertilizer and either draw or add images of the various pests (don’t write this Zaineb)

Growth Cycle:
 After discussing the foundations Mr. Babar went on to talk about the various cycles of corn.
According to him in terms of growth of crop stand there are three main phases which include:

 Knee High Stage (V6):

 In thus phase it is decided how many kernel (in terms of width or rows) will
be present around the cob.
 The maximum that has been achieved in Mr. Babar’s is 24 Kernels.
 In this stage it is necessary that there are no weeds.
 The crop is this stage requires a lot of potassium which should be supplied
either before or during this stage.
 In this stage the crop also intakes a small amount of urea (nitrogen).
 This stage occurs at a minimum of 500 to 600 GDU.

*Note: “GDU” is short for “Growth Degree Unit” which can be calculated using the formula: (Zainab
image of formula sent on WhatsApp)

 Grand Growth Stage:

 In this stage the crop grows rapidly.
 Nitrogen is consumption is very high.
 V12- V14 Phase:
 The length of the cob (in terms of columns) is decided in this phase. This
varies from ten to twenty to even as high as forty columns.
 This is the final phase where the crop makes its final decision by calculating
the various factors that have either been provided or not in previous
phases.

*Note: V stands for vegetative cycle

(Zainab draw picture or paste image of cycle)

Reproductive Cycle:
 After growth comes the reproductive cycle of the crop. Following are some of the key aspects of
the various stages that the crop goes through:

 Tasselling Phase (VT):

 The Tassel (pollen) comes out.
 Silk appears on the cob to receive the pollen.
 The silks break away from the ovule.
 In this stage the field should not be dry
 The presence of Heat stress leads to a lack of pollination which then leads to
less kernels (which can be observed as empty patches)
 R1 to R5 Phase:
 In this phase the corn Kernel begins to dent.
 Milk present in the grain converts into starch.
 This process goes on for 10-15 days.
 If the crop is harvested before the above mentioned time period, it leads to
a loss of 40% of the crop.
 R6 (Black Layer):
 This is the phase where they stop supplying water.
 It is at this phase when harvesting begins.

*Note: The R stands for reproductive cycle.

*One crucial step to take for optimal growth is to add fungal tea every time the crops are given water.

Concluding Pointers:
 After talking about the main factors Mr. Babar concluded the paper by talking about the
various factors about his farm which is summarized below:

 The Plantation of crops is done in the duration from June 15- August 15. These are known
as spring crops which are planted when the soil has a temperature of 0 degree celcius
(Zainab use degree symbol) on two inches of soil. However, the plantation of corn is done
in the winter meaning onwards from January.
 The record yield of Mr. Babar’s farm is 6.8 tons per acre which is expanded over a 100 to
a 150 acres of land.
 65% of corn that is produced all over Pakistan are sent to produce Chicken feed in mills.
Where the Rafhan group have a whopping ownership of 20%.
 There are three types of corn which include:
 Vaxi corn which is sent to Rafhan Group.
 Sweet corn
 Dent corn
 In Pakistan corn is grown on a total of 3.2 million acres of soil. Out of which 8.3 tons of the
grain produced is used as fodder.
 A mistake that farmers usually make is that they generally harvest too soon which as
mentioned in the reproductive cycle leads to 40% loss of the crop. Which according to Mr.
Babar Ali equates to around 1 billion dollars’ worth of loss.