Corn
The scientific name for corn is Zea mays. It is often called “field corn.” I can identify corn when I see it. A corn plant is tall and has long, slender leaves, or blades. The blades can be rather sharp. The plant usually yields several ears of corn. The corn plant also has brace roots, which are roots that grow above the ground to give the tall plant more support. Corn should be planted when soil temperatures are about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. It should be planted between the last week of April and the first couple weeks of May, but can be done up until the last week of May. Ideal pH levels for growing corn are 5.5 to 7.0. Corn grows best when it is treated with nitrogen. Some common diseases of corn are bacterial leaf blight, brown spot, common rust, common smut, crazy top, ear and kernel rots, head smut, nematodes, northern corn leaf blight, seed rots/seedling blights, sorghum downy mildew, southern corn leaf blight, southern corn rust, stalk rots, and maize dwarf mosaic virus. Some common weeds that affect corn fields are johnsongrass, velvetleaf, marestail, and giant ragweed. Some insects that infest corn are aphids, ladybugs, armyworms, and corn earworms. Corn is planted with a planter and harvested using a combine. Corn is sprayed with pesticides and treated with nitrogen. In Southeast Missouri, corn is usually harvested between August and September. The average yield of corn in Southeast Missouri is between 140 and 150 bushels per acre. At the University Farm the yield was 225 bpa.
Soybeans
The scientific name for soybeans is Glycine max. If I see soybeans I can identify it. A mature soybean plant is about 2-2 ½ feet tall and is very leafy and green. When it ripens, and turns brownish-red and the leaves begin to fall off. It has many pods on the stem and branches, each pod usually containing three seeds, sometimes four. The entire plant is covered in small, fuzzy hairs. The best time to plant soybeans is in early May...