Maize & X28;/meɪz/ MAYZ; Zea Mays; Young Stalks Stock Photo

Because it is cold-intolerant, in the temperate zones maize must be planted in the spring. Its root system is generally shallow, so the plant is dependent on soil moisture. As a plant that uses C4 carbon fixation, maize is a considerably more water-efficient crop than plants that use C3 carbon fixation such as alfalfa and soybeans. Maize is most sensitive to drought at the time of silk emergence, when the flowers are ready for pollination. In the United States, a good harvest was traditionally predicted if the maize was & x22;knee-high by the Fourth of July& x22;, although modern hybrids generally exceed this growth rate. Maize used for silage is harvested while the plant is green and the fruit immature. Sweet corn is harvested in the & x22;milk stage& x22;, after pollination but before starch has formed, between late summer and early to mid-autumn.