Maize

Land Preparation

Introduction Minimum Tillage

Introduction

Objectives

  • Main objective of field preparation is to control weeds
  • Facilitate easy sowing and to establish good seed and soil contact
  • For easy absorption of moisture
  • To provide sufficient aeration
  • To improve water holding capacity

Guide lines

  • One deep summer ploughing immediately after harvesting of rabi crop and followed by one light ploughing by country plough followed by planking.
  • In case of heavy soils two to three deep ploughings are needed where as in light soils too much tillage is wasteful.

  • During Kharif season the crop has to be protected from waterlogging, therefore, it is essential to provide ridges and furrows and maize seeds are sown on the sides of the ridges. In this case fertilisers are applied only on ridges.

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Minimum Tillage

  • Maize responds well to minimum tillage.
  • Single ploughing or zero tillage coupled with paraquat spray at 1 lit/ha before and after sowing or good alternatives to take up timely sowing will be followed, when timely seed bed preparation through conventional tillage methods get delayed.

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Telangana