Maize

Crop Technologies

Note on Maize crop Technologies

Introduction

  • In India, maize is emerging as third most important crop after rice and wheat. Maize has its significance as a source of a large number of industrial products besides its uses as human food and animal feed.
  • Diversified uses of maize for maize corn starch industry, corn oil production, baby corns, popcorns, etc., and potential for exports has added to the demand of maize all over world besides other commercial avenues.

Production area

  • In India the maize is grown in 24 states are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Growth promotional activities

  • To meet the growing demand, per hectare yield of maize is estimated to rise to 2.36 tonnes as against 1.7 tonnes currently by the end of 2020.
  • Maize does possess tremendous potential in terms of feed for dairy, poultry and piggery agro-industries.
  • In order to increase the production and productivity of maize, the new approach for area expansion for maize are to be adopted in view of serious competition from food and cereal crops.
  • It can only be done through transfer of improved technology through demonstration on improved crop production technology and Integrated Pest Management training programs, seeds production programs, insecticides, pesticides, weedicides and other inputs, etc besides introduction of high yielding hybrids.

Cropping Seasons:

  • Maize crop can be taken up in both seasons of Kharif and Rabi in South India, Bihar and only during Kharif season in most of North Indian states.
  • Now technology has been developed by Agricultural Universities to take up crop during Rabi in North India but duration of crop is very long.
  • However, this technology will be beneficial for taking up production of babycorn which is getting very high returns for supplies to Hotel industry and in fact babycorn this can be supplied round the year.

Seed rates and Hybrids Recommended:

  • Per hectare requirement of hybrid seed is 18 kg. The minimum recommended population of 60-65 thosand plants per hectare be to be maintained.
  • After 5 days of sowing gap filling should be taken up. Varieties/ Hybrids recommended are Ganga Safed 2, Ganga 5, DHM 7, 900-M and many private hybrids with proven records are available in the market for the cultivation.
  • As most of cases the seed is already treated with fungicides, there is no need of seed treatment. However, in case seed is not treated it should be treated with Thiram and Capton @ 2 gm/kg each of seed.

Field Preparation:

  • Maize requires fine field preparation for the raising good crop. For the Kharif crop field should be deep ploughed during the peak summer to ensure the killing of pests and pathogens.
  • The field should be free from previous crop stubble in order to avoid carrying of previous crop pathogens and pests.
  • Before starting of season field should be kept ready so that upon arrival of rains crop can be planted immediately. This is particularly important for the rainfed crop.
  • For the crop to be irrigated through micro irrigation paired rows should be raised and micro irrigation systems be fixed up after the planting of seed in rows.

Sowing of crop:

  • Ensure that the pH of soil is between 7.5 and 8.5 Plant currently recommended varieties as recommended varieties have resistance to several common diseases. Also choose varieties that resist lodging. Plant treated seed only.
  • Treated seeds greatly reduce seed rots and seedling blights. Most hybrid seed companies treat their seed before selling. But do check again to be certain.
  • Sowing done a week to ten days before the usual date of the break of monsoon, with initial one or two irrigations, provide a better chance for the establishment of plants, and yield increases of 15-20 per cent have also been recorded.
  • Keep a check on the plant population. This is an important factor in reducing stalk rots, lodging, and ear rots.

Spacing and plant population:

  • 60-75 cm of row spacing is recommended. Plants in the same row should be sown 20 - 25 cm apart.
  • For optimum yield, a population of 60-75 thousand plants per hectare (24 - 30 thousand plants per acre) at harvest is required. 17 to 20 kg of seed per hectare for the grain crop is needed. (7-8 Kgs / acre).

Balanced Nutrition:

  • Maize nutrient requirements are met largely by chemical fertilizer and not integrated with organic fertilizer.
  • The continuous use of chemical fertilizers without organic fertilizer not only leads to environmental problems but also reduces land productivity.
  • A study conducted over 25 years by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research on the long-term effect of the continuous use of chemical fertilizer reveals following facts:
    1. Imbalance and non-integrated fertilizer use can be disastrous.
    2. Need for improving efficiency of fertilizers by timely application.
    3. Continuous use of chemical NPK without the integrated use of organic fertilizers, leading to micronutrient deficiencies.
    4. Need to promote the integrated use of organic fertilizer along with chemical fertilizers.
    5. Need for determining optimum doses of FYM (farm yard manual) along with the necessary changes in the doses of NPK

Fertilizers Intake by Crop:

  • Maize is a heavy feeder of nutrients, hence, it withdraws heavy dose of nutrients from soil for plant growth.
  • To produce one ton of grain and dry matter maize crop withdraws 8.0 kg of, N, 2.5 kg of P2O5 and 18 kg of K2O from the soil.
  • The figures clearly indicate that maximum nutrient required is Potash.
  • The pattern of withdrawal of nutrients grows up with the growth of crop over the time and reaches it’s peak during flowering of crop and after that it starts slowing down.
  • At initial stage of growth after germination of seed total N, P & K requirement is low but K requirement starts growing steeply after 30-35 days of sowing. Hence, nutrition application has to be planned accordingly.

Table 2: Amounts of micronutrients removed by major intensified crop system in India

Cropping systems Total Yield (T/Ha) Zn Fe Mn Cu B Mo
Rice - Rice 8.0 320 1224 2200 144 120 16
Rice - Wheat 8.0 384 3108 2980 168 252 16
Maize - Wheat 8.0 744 7296 1560 616 - -
Soyabean - Wheat 6.5 416 3362 488 710 - -
Pigeonpea - Wheat 6.0 287 4356 493 148 - -

Manuring and Fertilization:

  • For obtaining high yields, the maize crop should be heavily manured. Twenty-five to thirty cartloads of farmyard manure or compost should be ploughed into the soil before sowing to ensure integrated crop production through use of organic manure and organic fertilizers.

Fertilizers Irrigated (in Kgs/ ha) Rainfed (in Kgs/ ha)
Urea 170 120
DAP 130 90
MOP 70 40 - 45
Zinc Sulphate 10 10

  • For heavy soils, 50% of the Nitrogen should be applied as basal alongwith the total quantities of Phosphorus and Potash.
  • The rest 50% of Nitrogen should be applied as top dressing 20-30 days after sowing.
  • In case of light sandy soils, the 50% of Nitrogen should be applied as basal alongwith the total quantities of Phosphorus and Potash.
  • The rest 50% of Nitrogen should be splited in to two equal doses: First dose should be applied 20 - 30 days after sowing at the time of earthing up (knee high stage). The second dose should be applied 50-60 days after sowing at the pre-flowering stage.
  • The precise level of application of phosphorus and potash should be modified in the background of soil analysis.
  • For rainfed crop, one -third of the nitrogen and total quantity of potash and phosphorus should be applied before sowing, while the remaining nitrogen should be applied as top dressing at the knee-high stage and at tasselling in two equal doses.

Fertilizer application

  • Before the start of season get the soil tested for the available nutrients including micronutrients in the soil.
  • The Fertilizers should be given to the crop based on soil nutrient status, as excess or deficient fertilizer application will lead to reduced yields. Imbalance fertilizer application even may result in poor uptake of nutrients by plants.
  • A correct balance of Nitrogen and Potassium has to be maintained. An imbalance with nitrogen exceeding potash can increase stalk lodging.
  • All cover crops / weeds should be ploughed in much ahead of actual crop sowing.
  • This will reduce the hazard of seedling rots. No weeding activities should be taken up after flowering as it may damage the lateral roots, leaves and the plant as a whole.

Irrigation requirements:

  • About 60 cm of well-distributed rainfall during the growing season is quite sufficient for the crop.
  • The most critical stage of irrigation during crop growth is during flowering and post-flowering particularly during the grain-filling period.
  • Any reduction in soil moisture at this stage will markedly reduce the yield.
  • Proper drainage measures will protect the crop from salinity and waterlogging specially during the early stages.
  • It has been estimated that the maize crop requires about 50 per cent of its total water requirement in a short period of 30-35 days after tasselling.
  • The most critical stage of irrigation during crop growth is during flowering and post-flowering particularly during the grain-filling period.
  • If there is any water stress during this period the principle of source link relationship will come in effect i.e. there will be seed formation proportionate to the availability of water and nutritional resources.
  • The rest of embryos will die on that particular stage where fertilization of ovaries over. From a harvested cob we can find out the stress faced by crop during the period by observing the grain-filling pattern.

Water Use efficiency:

  • It is increasingly acknowledged that in the years to come, not only will agriculture have to increase the efficiency of water use to meet the growing demand, but may also have to release water for other uses.
  • A number of states are undergoing power sector reforms and tariff rationalization.
  • However, agricultural consumers continue to be charged on a flat-rate basis instead of actual utilization.
  • Therefore the incentive for conservation of water is far too low. Metered supply would be able to increase the water use efficiency.
  • Improper and inefficient methods of water application also contribute to wastage of precious water resources.
  • In India, by and large surface irrigation is practiced where efficiency seldom exceeds 50%. With the use of sprinkler and micro Irrigation (drip irrigation), application efficiencies can be as high as 80%-90%.
  • Development of varieties with less water requirement through conventional and biotechnological approach will also help in reducing the water demand for future crop requirements.

Improved Water Use efficiency through Micro Irrigation:

  • Keeping in view the impending water crisis in agriculture as suggested above micro irrigation is need of the hour.
  • For this crop has to be planted in paired row and drip will be provided in these paired rows.
  • The water requirement will be drastically reduced through use of drip and larger area can be irrigated thus.
  • The soluble fertilizers can also be applied to crop through drip irrigation through fertilization tank.
  • Though the initial cost of providing installing micro irrigation will be very high but it can be recovered in long term in terms of more acreage cover, higher yields and lesser water use.
  • In present scenario government of India is already giving 50% subsidy to encourage the farmers for getting installed micro irrigation.

Soluble fertilizers:

  • Though it may not be possible to give all the requirement of crop nutrients through soluble fertilizers but a part of fertilizers can be given through soluble fertilizers.
  • As the soluble fertilizers ensure 100% availability of nutrients, fertilizers doses can be reduced upto 25% as indicated in studies made by scientists.

Soluble Fertilizers Suggested:

  • Following fertilizers and schedule can be suggested:
    1. 0-7 days - -No Fertilizer
    2. 8-45 days -19-19-19 + urea
    3. 45-60 days -12-61-0 + urea
    4. 61-75 days -13-0-45
  • Doses can be developed based on quantity of fertilizers applied as basal dose.
  • Soluble fertilizers can also be used as foliar spray in crop at initial stages only.
  • As crop grows quite tall after 45 days it may not be possible to give foliar application at later stages.

Crop Rotation:

  • As the continuous growing of maize crop in the same field will result into build up of soil pathogen. Hence, crop rotation should be taken up on a regular basis.
  • Failure to rotate corn can lead to increased losses from several diseases including smuts, stalk rots, nematodes, and leaf blights.
  • Maize is a short-duration crop and it conveniently fits into a wide range of crop rotations. It is also grown in rotation with cotton and sugarcane in a two-year rotation.

Some of the Maize based crop rotations are mentioned below:

  • Maize - Rabi Sorghum (South India)
  • Maize - Pulse / Oilseed crop (South India mainly in irrigated belts)
  • Maize - Toria / Potato / Pea - Sunflower mostly in Northern India
  • Maize - Toria - Wheat (Terai Belt of UP)
  • Short duration Maize - Paddy - Toria (Northern India)
  • Maize - Vegetables (North - South)

Crop Weeding:

  • Two to three weeding may be necessary, following which the crop is earthed up to provide for better standability. No weeding is required after earthing up.
  • Effective weed control can be obtained by spraying Simazine or Atrazine (@ 1-1.25 kg/ha of 50% W.P.) before the crop germinates. This will reduce the cost of cultivation in maize crop and reduce crop and weed competition for nutriments and valuable space.
  • Tips: No weeding activities should be taken up after flowering as it may damage the lateral roots and may also result in damage of plant leaves and plant as stalks at this stage these are very tender.

Crop Harvesting:

  • Date of harvesting should be determined by the maturity of the crop rather than by the calendar.
  • At the maturity of crop the cob sheath becomes dry. In some hybrids the plant will still remain green but cob will be ready, in such conditions either harvest the cobs or allow the stalks also to dry alongwith cobs.
  • At the harvesting of cobs seed moisture should not be more than 20%, else seed grain will shrink and there would be large reduction in grain yield of maize crop if harvested earlier than the stipulated crop stage.
  • However, in case of high yielding hybrids, the appearance of the plant may be misleading. In this case, the grains are dry but the stalk and leaves may be still green.
  • Ears can be removed from the standing crop. The harvested ears are dried in the sun before shelling.
  • Fully dried cobs only taken up for threshing to avoid breakage of grain. Drying of cobs should not be taken up on soil floor.
  • Cobs if allowed to be dried on soil floor, will absorb the moisture and will affect the grain development of fungus in grain, which will spoil the quality of grain and hence, farmer will get poor market rates for grain for his grain produce.
  • In the case of late sown crop, farmers prefer to harvest the whole plants and pile them and the ears are removed later.
  • Maize stalks are used as cattle feed and fuel. In fact, no part of the maize plant, even the cobs from which the grains have been removed, is left unused.

No use of F2 Seed:

  • Grain harvested from hybrid maize should not be saved for their next crop, as the next generation hybrid seeds are likely to lead to a yield reduction of 25-30 per cent.

Crop Diseases:

  • Diseases of maize are strongly influenced by weather conditions and are very difficult to predict.
  • They are best controlled by the use of resistant or tolerant hybrids and varieties and a balanced fertility program.
  • Most of the disease causing agents / pathogens has the capacity to overcome the winter.
  • Tillage and crop rotation are common cultural practices, which will help to reduce sources of disease organisms, particularly if disease has been prevalent in the crop from the previous years and was carried in soil and plant debris.

Action Points related to making availability of quality seed and other Technologies:

  • Target issues for direct government action. Such measures might include introduction of targeted input subsidies designed to reduce the cost of adopting improved seed and complementary inputs (especially fertilizer), government investment in irrigation infrastructure (Particularly micro irrigation) designed to reduce production risk in drought-prone environments, and market development initiatives designed to provide small-scale producers with access to stable and reliable outlets where they can sell surplus grain.
  • Establish an effective market information system. Although public agencies are unlikely to produce and distribute maize seed as efficiently as private companies, policy actions could improve the performance of both types of organizations. One such action would be the introduction of an effective market information system. The current lack of information makes forecasting supply and demand difficult, resulting in frequent overproduction and leading to losses in many years.
  • Create an effective seed certification system. Currently, a significant proportion of the maize seed that is sold as certified is not subjected to official certification procedures, and many farmers end up purchasing an inferior product. The key to success will be to shift the responsibility for certification (as well as legal accountability) back to the seed companies themselves, which have an obvious interest in ensuring the quality of their product.
  • Attract and keep competent researchers. Public breeding programs face stiff competition from private industry, which has hired away many of the best breeders by offering more attractive terms of employment. To attract and retain competent scientists, public research organizations must reexamine their levels of compensation. Strengthening operating budgets of public research programs may help ensure that scientists are not lured away by better working conditions.
  • Use resources effectively. Assuming that public research institutions make changes to attract and maintain outstanding staff, greater efforts should then be mounted to use public-sector resources more effectively. Concrete steps in this direction include the adoption of more formal and transparent research planning procedures to clearly identify and correctly rank potential research objectives, and a more formal approach to research priority-setting that reflects the technology needs of important interest groups.
  • Continue trend of policy reforms. Recent policy reforms have made it more attractive for seed companies to engage in research. However, a number of regulations remain that inhibit this trend, an important one being plant varietal protection laws. A more effective system of plant variety protection would allow seed companies to protect their inbred lines, thus encouraging commercial production of their best hybrids and additional investment in research. Farmers would gain increased access to superior germplasm at competitive prices.

Crop Pests

Insect management:

Cutworms (Argots spp.)

Appearance:

  • They are caterpillars up to 50 mm in length. They are grey-brown but may range from green or pale yellow to almost black.

Parts attacked:

  • Cutworms feed on leaves and stems of young plants. The older caterpillars cause most of the damage and may cut down plants to eat the leaves.
  • The plants may also wilt because the insect partially chews on stems. Cutworms usually feed at night and hide in the soil during the day.
  • Cutworms may be found in any soil type and often move into the crop from adjoining fence lines, pastures or weedy fallow.

Control:

  • Spray when caterpillars are feeding i.e. during dusk or in the night. Spot treatments may be successful. The field should be free from any weeds before planting starts.

Corn earworm or halitosis (Helicoverpa armigera)

  • Appearance: Caterpillars are up to 50 mm in length, which vary in colour from yellow to almost black. A broad pale stripe along each side may be present. Eggs are laid generally on the top 2/3 leaves of the plant.
  • Parts attacked: This pest is more serious during tasselling and silking and can effect reduced pollination and grain-set. 6-8 larvae per tassel before silk emergence would require immediate control.
  • Control: Chemical control should only be aimed at small caterpillars (up to 5 mm). Thrips may damage crops that are stressed and not growing well. They are very small, brown/black insects measuring 1-2 mm in size.
  • To control soil-infesting insects, 10-20 kg of 10% BHC per hectare may be mixed with the basic fertilizer application.

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