Cultivation of Maize

VERNACULAR NAMES

• Bengali: Bhutta
• Gujarati: Makai
• Hindi, Marathi, Oriya: Maka
• Kannada: Musikinu Jola
• Kashmiri: Makaay
• Malayalam: Cholam
• Tamil: Makka Cholam
• Telugu: Mokka Jonnalu

ORIGIN The primary center of origin of maize is Central America and Mexico, where diverse types of maize are found. Evidence such as fossil maize pollen and archaeological findings in Mexico strongly supports this.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

• Maize is grown worldwide, from 58°N to 40°S latitude, covering approximately 139 million hectares and producing about 600 million tonnes.
• Global Rank: Third, after rice and wheat.
• Major Maize-Producing Countries: USA, China, Brazil, Mexico, India, Romania, Philippines, Indonesia.
• Major Maize-Producing States in India: Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra.

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

Food and Feed: Maize serves as a staple food for humans and an important feed for livestock.

Composition: Contains 65% starch, making it suitable for multiple industrial uses.

Industrial Uses:

• Wet Milling: Produces starch, sweeteners, paper lamination products, and textiles.
• Dry Milling: Yields flour, breakfast cereals, and fermented products.

Consumption in India:

• 35% used for human consumption.
• 25% as poultry and cattle feed.
• 15% in food processing.

Alternate Crop: Seen as an alternative to rice and wheat in the new millennium.

MAIZE GRAIN TYPES

Flint Corn (Zea mays indurata): Hard starch outer kernel. Available in various colors: white, yellow, red, and blue.

Dent Corn (Zea mays indentata): Soft starch in the core that contracts upon drying, forming a “dent.” Accounts for 95% of USA maize production.

Sweet Corn (Zea mays saccharata): Contains high sugar levels (~20% dry matter). Rich in vitamins C and A; consumed as food.

Flour Corn (Zea mays amylacea): Composed of soft starch; easy to grind. Commonly used in South America.

Popcorn (Zea mays everta): Small kernels that pop at 170°C. The starch inside turns to steam, expanding and popping the kernel.

Waxy Corn (Zea mays ceretina): Starch contains only amylopectin. Used in the wet milling industry for textile and paper sizing.

SOIL AND CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS

Soil Requirements:

• Preferred Soil: Deep, fertile, rich in organic matter, and well-drained.
• Ideal Texture: Loamy or silty loam.
• pH Range: 6.5–7.5.
• Critical Properties:
  • Bulk density: ~1.3 g/cc.
  • Water holding capacity: ~16 cm/m depth.
  • Avoidance of waterlogging is essential.

Climatic Requirements:

• Temperature:
  • 9–30°C required for germination and emergence.
  • 30°C optimal for growth.
• Grain Filling:
  • Longer grain filling under frost-free conditions enhances yield.

SEASON AND VARIETIES

Maize is cultivated in three main seasons in India:

1. Adipattam (July–August)
2. Purattasipattam (September–October)
3. Thaipattam (January–February)

Varieties

Hybrid Varieties

1. Ganga Series: Ganga 1 and Ganga 2: Early maturing, high-yielding varieties suitable for the Indo-Gangetic plains.
2. Deccan Series: Deccan 103: Adapted for southern India with good yield potential.
3. Vijay: A high-yielding hybrid for northern plains.
4. Sartaj: Suitable for irrigated and rainfed conditions in central and northern India.

Composite Varieties

1. Jawahar: Jawahar Maize Composite (JMC): A popular variety developed by JNKVV, Jabalpur.
2. Amber: Amber 2: Well-suited for both irrigated and rainfed areas.
3. Kisan: A composite variety for general cultivation.

Specialty Varieties

1. Baby Corn Varieties: VL Makka 42: Early maturing variety for baby corn production. HM 4: Popular for baby corn in northern India.
2. Popcorn Varieties: VL Popcorn 1: Known for its popping quality. Amber Popcorn: Suitable for snacks and confectionery.

Region-Specific Varieties

1. Eastern India: Shakti 1 and Shakti 2: High-yielding hybrids adapted for eastern plains.
2. Southern India: Deccan Hybrid 101: Heat-tolerant variety for southern regions.
3. Hills and Plateaus: Pratap Makka: Well-suited for hilly terrains.

Disease-Resistant Varieties

1. Pioneer Series: Pioneer 30V92: Resistant to foliar diseases and pests.
2. Bioseed 9681: Known for resistance to stalk rot and leaf blight.

Drought-Tolerant Varieties

1. Rabi Maize Varieties: PMH 1 (Public Maize Hybrid 1): Suitable for late-sown conditions with drought tolerance.
2. Proagro 4212: Performs well under water stress conditions.

CULTURAL PRACTICES

a) Irrigated Maize

FYM Application: Apply 12.5 t/ha of farmyard manure (FYM) or compost, enriched with 10 packets of Azospirillum (2000 g/ha).

Field Preparation: Plough the field using a disc plough once, followed by cultivating twice to achieve a fine tilth.

Forming Ridges and Furrows: Ridges: 6 meters long and spaced 60 cm apart. Beds: 10 m² or 20 m², based on water availability.

2. Fertilizer Application

• Recommended Dose: 135:62.5:50 NPK kg/ha.
• Application Timing:
  • Quarter dose of N, full dose of P₂O₅, and full dose of K₂O before sowing.
  • Nitrogen can be reduced to 100 kg/ha if Azospirillum is used.
• Micronutrient Mixture: Apply 12.5 kg/ha mixed with sand.

3. Seed Rate and Spacing

• Seed Rate: Grain maize: 20 kg/ha. Baby corn: 25 kg/ha.
• Spacing: 25 cm between plants and 60 cm between rows.

4. Seed Treatment

• Protection from Pests: Treat seeds with Chlorpyriphos 20 EC or Monocrotophos 36 WSC for stem borer management.
• Protection from Diseases: Use Metalaxyl or Thiram @ 2 g/kg of seed for downy mildew.
• Bio-Fertilizer: Treat seeds with Azospirillum (600 g/ha).

5. Sowing

• Dibble seeds 4 cm deep.
• Maintain an optimal plant population of 53,333 plants/ha.

Weed Management for Maize (Kharif)

Herbicide Application:

• Apply Atrazine 50 WP at 500 g/ha (mixed with 900 liters of water) as a pre-emergence spray 3 days after sowing. This helps control weeds effectively.
• Ensure the soil has sufficient moisture before herbicide application for optimal results.
• Avoid disturbing the soil after applying the herbicide.

Manual Weeding: If herbicide is not applied, conduct hoeing and hand weeding on the 17th or 18th day after sowing to remove weeds manually.

Precautions: If a pulse crop is intercropped, avoid using Atrazine as it might harm the intercrop.

Thinning and Gap Filling

• Thinning: Retain only one healthy seedling per hole by removing the weaker seedling 12–15 days after sowing.
• Gap Filling: For areas with poor germination, dibble pre-soaked seeds (two seeds per hole) and water immediately to promote germination.

Hoeing, Hand-Weeding, and Earthing-Up

• Conduct hoeing and hand-weeding on the 30th day of sowing.
• Perform earthing-up to form new ridges, ensuring plants are positioned on top of the ridges. This provides better support and reduces lodging risks.

Top Dressing with Nitrogen (N)

• Apply half the nitrogen dose along the furrows on the 25th day of sowing and cover it with soil.
• Apply the remaining quarter dose of nitrogen on the 45th day of sowing to boost growth during critical stages.

b) Rainfed Maize Practices

Field Preparation Use a chisel plough at 0.5 m intervals in two perpendicular directions to break hard pans, improving root penetration. Repeat this practice once every three years.

Organic Matter Incorporation Apply 12.5 t/ha of FYM (Farmyard Manure) or compost along with 10 packets of Azospirillum (2000 g/ha) and incorporate it into the soil for increased fertility.

Fertilizer Application

• Follow soil test recommendations for precise NPK application.
• If unavailable, adopt a blanket recommendation:
  • For Alfisols: 60:30:30 NPK kg/ha.
  • For Vertisols: 40:20:0 NPK kg/ha.
• Apply half of nitrogen and the entire dose of P₂O₅ and K₂O as basal along with enriched FYM and Azospirillum (10 packets/ha).
• Top dress the remaining nitrogen at tasseling.

Seed Treatment Treat seeds with fungicides and then coat them with three packets of Azospirillum (600 g/ha) before sowing.

Sowing

• Seed Rate: Use 20 kg/ha for hybrids and 25 kg/ha for varieties.
• Spacing: Maintain a spacing of 45 cm between rows and 20 cm between plants.
• Sowing Depth: Dibble or drill seeds to a depth of 4 cm.

Cropping Systems

• In red lateritic soils (Southern districts): Maize + cowpea or Maize + black gram intercropping yields higher net returns.
• For Vertisols (Southern districts): Maize + red gram intercropping is ideal.

Yield Potential

• Irrigated Conditions:
  • Grain Yield: 5 tonnes/ha.
  • Straw Yield: 10 tonnes/ha.
  • Baby Corn: Cob yield of 6 tonnes/ha with green fodder yield of 25 tonnes/ha.

• Rainfed Conditions:
  • Grain Yield: 3 tonnes/ha.