DHM – 103 : Suitable for irrigated situation: 105-110
duration with a yield potential of 55-60q ha-1, tolerant
to stem rot disease.
DHM – 105 : Suitable for irrigated conditions; matures
in 110 days with 66q ha-1 yield potential; stable hybrid
tolerant to leaf blight wilt.
DHM – 1 : Early hybrid. Suitable for irrigated situations;
matures in 85-90days with a yield potential of 50-55q ha-1
tolerant to leaf blight disease.
Thrishulatha : Suitable for irrigated areas; matures
in 110 days with 62q ha-1 yield, tolerant to leaf blight
and wilt disease.
DHM – 107 : Medium duration type suitable for both
rainfed and irrigated areas; matures in 88days with a yield potential
of 60 q ha-1; tolerant to leaf blight and wilt.
DHM – 109 : Early type suitable for both rainfed and
irrigation, matures in 65 days with a yield potential 60 q ha-1,
tolerant to leaf blight and wilt.
Synthetics / Composites :
Aswini : Suitable for both rainfed and irrigated areas;
100-105 days duration; yields 40-50 q ha; tolerant to stem borer.
Harsha : For both rainfed and irrigated areas; 95-100
days duration; yield 40-50 q ha; tolerant to stem borer, leaf blight
and wilt.
Varun : For both rainfed and irrigated areas; 90-100
days duration with 45-50 q ha; yield potential, drought tolerant.
Special cultures :
Amber pop com : Suitable for irrigated areas, 90-100
days duration; 30 q ha yield; suitable for pop com.
Madhuri : Irrigated areas : 75-80 days duration; 20 q
ha-1 (60,000 cobs ha-1) yield, sweet corn (30-36%
sugar); suitable for table purpose after boiling.
Seed and sowing
A seed rate of 18kg ha-1 with 66,000 plants
ha-1.
Sow the seed in the middle of June under rainfed with
first showers; under irrigation sow two weeks earlier than the south
west monsoon sets in.
During Rabi season sow the seed during middle of October
to middle of November. For seed production and for popcorn purpose sow
up to first week of January.
Seed treatment with mancozeb @ 3g kg-1 seed.
Sow the seed on one side of ridge by hand dibbling under irrigation
with 75 x 20cm spacing for hybrids and 60x25cm for pop corn types and
60x20cm for sweet corn.
Fertilisers
Under irrigated conditions, apply 120kg N ha-1
in three splits e.e., ¼ at sowing, ½ at 30 DAS and remaining ¼ at 50-55
DAS.
Entire P2O5 (60kg ha-1) as basal; Under rainfed conditions,
apply 80kg N ha-1, 2/3 at sowing along with P and remaining
1/3 at 30-40 DAS.
For zinc deficient areas apply zinc sulphate @ 50kg
ha-1 for every 3 crops.
On the crop if zinc deficiency is found, spray zinc
sulphate @ 0.1% for 2-3 times at 15 days interval. Apply potash and
zinc sulphate based on soil test values.
Weed Management
Preemergence application of atrazin @ 1.0 to 1.5kg a.i
ha-1 for light soils and 1.5-2.0 kg a.i ha-1 for
heavy soils when sufficient soil moisture is present.
Intercultivation
Harrowing at 30 DAS and 45-50 DAS will keep the field
weed free. Especially on ridges, hand weeding between plants has to
be taken up.
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 up to 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 in 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 the
crop.
The pest incidence is recognized by the presence of parallel
holes in the leaf blades as well as exit holes on the stem.
Generally hybrids are tolerant to these pests. In endemic
areas prophylactic spraying of endosulfan 35 EC @ 0.1% or application
of endosulfan 4G or Carbofuran 3G 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 @ 0.1% (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 Mancozeb @ 0.3% (3 g/L) at weekly
interval starting from knee –high stage of the crop contols the blight.
Selection of suitable hybrids or varieties for disease
tolerance is a must in endemic areas.
