Early maturing short duration variety tolerant to diseases
DHM-105
Irrigated
108
66
Stable hybrid
Trishulata
-do-
105-110
62
Three-way cross hybrid. Tolerant to leaf blight and stalk rots.
Composites
Ashwini
Irrigated
100-105
40-45
Tolerant to stalk borer
Harsha
-do-
95-100
45-50
A promising composite with uniform cobs.
Varun
-do-
90-100
45-50
Drought tolerant
Special varieties
Amber popcorn
Irrigated
90-100
30
Grain for popping. Low yields are compensated with higher returns.
Madhuri (Sweet corn)
-do-
75-80
60,000 cobs/ha
20
Delicious table variety having higher sugar (30-36%) in green cobs.
Priya (sweet corn)
-do-
80-85
60,000 cobs/ha
25
Delicious table variety having higher sugar (30-36%) in green cobs.
Time of sowing
Middle of October to Middle of November in Telangana
Districts. Upto first week of January in Coastal districts of A.P (Seed
production plots).
Soils
Deep or medium black soils with good drainage and red
loams are preferable. Maize does not come up well on saline alkaline
and waterlogged soils. The optimum pH range is between 5.5 to 7.5.
Seed rate
18kg/ha (7kg/ac)
Sowing
Dibble 2-3cm (1") deep. Sowing on sides of ridges
at a distance of 1/3 rd from top facilitates irrigation as well as drainage.
Excess seedlings should be thinned 10 days after emergence to have single
seedling per hill.
Spacing
75cm (3-1/2’) between rows and 20cm (8") between
plants or 60cm (2’) between rows and 25cm (10") between plants.
This gives a plant population of 66,000/ha or 26,000/ac approximately.
Weeding
Pre-emergence spraying Atrazine (Atrataf) at 1.0 to 1.5kg
ai/ha in case of light soils and 1.5 to 2.0kg ai/ha in case of heavy
soils in 500-600 litres of water will control most broad leaved weeds
effectively. After 30-35 days, crop may be intercultivated and later
eathed up.
Fertilizers
For rabi irrigated crop 120kg N+60kg P2O5
+ 30kg K2O per ha is recommended. Nitrogen may be applied
in two or three splits viz., at sowing, knee-high stage and at flag
leaf emergence. 50kg of commercial Zinc sulphate per ha may be applied
if soils are known to be deficient in available zinc. If symptoms appear
later, the crop can be sprayed with 0.2% solution of zinc sulphate.
With second dose of nitrogen, loosen the soils by working
cultivator and earth it up by a ridger.
Irrigation
To get a good crop, irrigations should be given as and
when required. Maize needs less irrigations till the crop attains growth
phase i.e., upto 30 days. As growth period advances these intervals
between irrigations can be reduced and more quantity of water applied
till the completion of milk stage. Irrigations at flowering stage i.e.,
from pre-tasseling to completion of silking are very essential. When
the crop is at initial stages, drainage is as important as irrigation
since water logged conditions impede crop growth.
Plant protection
Pests
The striped borer (Chilo partellus) infests the crop
during Kharif season and the pink borer (Sesamia inferens) during Rabi.
These borers cause dead hearts in early stage of crop. The pest is recognised
by the presence of the slit like elongated openings in the leaf blades
as well as exit holes on the stem in the case of S.inferens. Generally
hybrids are tolerant to these pests. In endemic areas prophylactic spraying
of Endosulfan 35 EC at 0.1% or application of Carbaryl 4G in leaf whorls
@ 5kg/ha is recommended when the crop is 10-12 days old.
In case of Helicoverpa armigera which attacks tassels
and green cobs, endosulfan at 0.1% (2-3ml/l) may be sprayed.
Diseases
The important diseases of maize are leaf blight (Helminthosporium
turcicum) late wilt (Cephalosporium maydis) and charcoal rot (Macrophomina
phaseolina). Three sprayings of Dithana Z-78@0.3% (3g/l) at weekly interval
starting from knee-high stage of the crop controls the leaf blight.
Soil drenching with bleaching powder (1000ppm chlorine)
at 55 and 65 days age of the crop reduces the intensity of both the
above stalk rots.
