Conventional Weed Control for Corn

Cultivation

• Corn is grown in rows to allow for easy cultivation and weed control. Originally, the distance between the rows was just wide enough for a horse pulling a cultivator. More recently the spacing became geared to tractor tire width.

Herbicides

• The use of herbicides for weed control in corn has become widespread since the second half of the 20th century. These chemicals must be applied repeatedly during the growing season. Herbicides greatly reduce the amount of tilling necessary to preserve a corn crop.

Issues

• Some herbicides are no longer permitted, due to environmental concerns. Also, some herbicides that are safe to use on field corn cause harm to sweet corn. Not all growers use chemicals, though. Some prefer to farm with cultivation alone, digging up the soil between the corn to kill the weeds before they can get too big.