Zea mays · Annual
Slugs and snails: Use beer traps, copper tape barriers, or iron phosphate pellets around vulnerable seedlings.
Maize smut: Remove and destroy infected plant parts immediately; rotate crops to reduce soil-borne spores.
Birds: Cover developing cobs with netting, paper bags, or fleece once silks turn brown.
Mice: Protect sown areas with wire mesh guards or use humane traps before and during sowing.
Poor pollination: Plant in blocks rather than single rows and hand-pollinate by shaking tassels over silks.