MAIZE

CULTIVATION PROCESS OF MAIZE

FIELD SELECTION

Field preparation Plough the field five to six times to get fine tilth. Spread 12.5 tons of FYM ha-1 or composted coir pith and apply ten packets of Azospirillum in the field. Prepare ridges and furrows with 45 cm spacing. Formation of ridges and furrows enables saving of irrigation water


SEED-BED PREPARATION

Soil preparation for corn should follow the same general good management practices as for most other crops. The goal should be to achieve a firm seed bed with minimum moisture loss and no wind erosion. Germination of corn is very temperature dependent, not occurring when soil temperatures drop below 10°C


DRILLING AND SOWING

Maize is usually precision drilled in rows, 76 cm (30 in) apart. The seeds should be evenly spaced within the row and placed at a consistent depth. This encourages the seedlings to emerge at the same time, minimising competition between plants.
Maize is sown in rows, 60-75 cm apart, whereas the plants in the row are spaced at 20 to 25 cm. A population of 60-75 thousand plants per hectare at harvest are required for obtaining the optimum yield. Sowing in rows is generally done with drill or by dropping the seed behind the plough.


CHOOSING A VARIETY

The primary factor to consider when selecting a variety is maturity. Early maturing varieties need less heat than those that mature later. Maturity is determined by the whole plant DM content (%) at a set harvest date. The higher the DM at harvest, the earlier a variety will be mature.


WEED CONTROL

Atrazine or Simazine @ 1.5 to 2 kg / ha dissolved in 500-600 litres of water, sprayed uniformly on the soil 2-3 days after sowing and followed by irrigation control most of the weeds efficiently.


CROP NUTRITION

Like many other crops, maize requires three primary nutrients – nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K). According to the PDA, P is particularly required by the growing tips of the plant, hence it's importance for root growth.


PESTS AND DISEASES

There are four major pests of maize prevalent in India. These are spotted stem borer [Chilo partellus (Swinhoe)], pink stem borer [Sesamia inferens Walker], shoot fly [Atherigona spp.] and fall armyworm [Spodoptera frugiperda


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