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How Does Sweet Corn Affect The Environment

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Sweet Corn

Pathway Sweet corn grows best in rich, deep soil that can be easily worked. Sweet corn can adapt to any pH level in the soil, but it thrives in a pH level of 6.0 to 6.5. When preparing for planting, break up the soil so that its about six inches deep by using a spade, plow, or rotator. By using a rotator, it would require gasoline to fuel it. While in use, the rotator will burn the fuel and that gives off Co2 which is harmful to the environment. For enhanced performance, apply three to four pounds of 12-12-12 fertilizer (nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) per 100 square feet of soil. The 12-12-12 fertilizer that is put in the soil is synthetically manufactured. Sweet corn seed typically germinates best when the temperature …show more content…

Home grown sweet corn would be a sustainable crop for the most part. It’s sustainable because the corn isn’t being mass produced and is usually grown in gardens along other vegetables which is a form of intercropping. Intercropping helps reduce erosion by just having more crop in one spot rather than just having one staple crop. It also helps keeps the nitrogen in the soil and keep it fertile. For home grown sweet corn to be even more sustainable, replace the manufactured fertilizer with compost and keep track of how much water is used every week. Using compost is more environmentally friendly rather than synthetically made fertilizers. Compost is organic material that will help keep the soil fertile, and it won’t cause pollution in local waters. Only water the corn the inch or so it needs. By keeping track of how much water is used to irrigate the corn, it will help reduce the amount of water being wasted. Buying local sweet corn rather than canned sweet corn would increase the want for sustainable home grown corn rather than mass produced corn. With more people buying sustainable corn, there's less need for the mass produced corn that is not always sustainably …show more content…

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