Maize

Recommended varieties of maize:

Suitable and modern varieties developed by the Research Institute of Maize, Jowar, Bajra Yousafwala (Sahiwal) and their characteristics

Synthetic Varieties:

Hybrids Varieties

Hybrid Varieties:

Hybrid varieties have better productivity as their cobs are full of grains to top end, the cobs are high in grains, the grains are thick and heavy, these types are average height, the middle stem and roots are strong, this makes them tolerate more fertilizer and protect them from falling.

Necessary actions related to hybrid varieties:

In addition to these varieties, hybrid varieties made by international and national companies available in the market are also being cultivated. Farmers are requested to buy the recommended varieties from registered dealers of registered firms and get a firm receipt from them and after sowing, keep the empty bags containing seeds in order to be useful in case of any complaint.

Seed Rate:

Keep the seed rate at 8 to 10 kg per acre. Seeds should be clean, healthy, pure and have more than 90% germination.

Seed treatment:

In the early stages, to prevent the attack of sucking insects, especially the Shoot fly, and protect the crop from disease attacks, seed is treated with Azoxystrobin + Clothianidin 62.5% at 9 g per kg of seed or Azoxystrobin + Clothianidin + Fludioxonil 72% at 9 g per kg seed Imidacloprid + Tebuconazole 37.25% per kg 10 ml per kg seed.

Time of cultivation:

The best time for Spring crops is January to the end of February and 15th July to 15th August for Kharif cultivation. Cultivate maize in the hilly areas of Rawalpindi in the first week of July. In the context of changing weather conditions, it is recommended to cultivate seasonal maize slightly late.

Important Points on Cultivation time:

• Change time cultivation in view of climate change.
• Maize for green kilns can be cultivated by the august end.
• Sowing of maize in Attock, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, and rainfed areas of Gujarat should be as per the onset of monsoon.
• In the rainfed and hilly areas, the crop that follows maize and cultivates the early varieties.

Land Selection:

Heavy fertile land with better organic matter content and good water absorption capacity is very suitable for maize cultivation. Sandy, salt-infected, waterlogged and also hard-layered (Hard Pan) lands are not suitable for its cultivation.

Land Preparation:

The first step in the success of the crop is its good germination so it is important to prepare the field well before cultivating maize. If there is a hard pan in the land, it should be broken. Use deep ploughs for this purpose.  For the first time, use Mold bold plough. If possible, it is better to use Mold bold plough 1 to 1½ months before cultivation. At the same time, make special arrangements for levelling the field as the levelled field is the guarantee of better water use and better production. For Better levelling use laser land leveler. Run the plough and planker 3 to 4 times for better preparation of the land. If land has previous crop residues, then finely chop them by rotavator.

method of cultivation:

Maize can be cultivated successfully in the following ways:

Cultivation on Ridges:

The best way to cultivate maize in irrigation areas is to make east west ridges at a distance of 2.5 feet and after applying light water immediately, sow 1 by 1 seed on the slope of ridges by choka before reaching moisture to the ridge. In spring cultivation, ridges in the southern direction (seed germinates quickly due to sunshine from morning to evening) and kharif cultivation ridges in the northern direction (the moisture is maintained for a longer time due to less sunlight and the germination is good) by choka method. In Spring Maize, cultivate hybrid varieties at a distance of 6 inches and synthetic varieties at a distance of 7-8 inches and in kharif cultivation hybrid varieties should be cultivated at a distance of 7 inches while synthetic varieties should be cultivated at a distance of 8-9 inches.

Cultivation on Beds:

Maize on beds are also cultivated in irrigation areas. In this method, maize is cultivated on beds made at a distance of 3.5 feet. In this case, apply maize seed on both sides of beds by choka method. In spring maize, cultivate hybrid varieties at a distance of 8-9 inches and synthetic varieties at a distance of 10-11 inches and hybrid varieties in kharif cultivation at a distance of 10 inches while synthetic varieties should be cultivated at a distance of 11 to 12 inches.

Cultivation on lines:

For good production, maize is grown in rainfed areas at a distance of 2.5 feet through drill, planter, pora or kera. When the height of the crop is 4 to 6 inches, remove the weak and sick plants and thinning. Keep the plant distance 6-7 inches in the varieties that are ripen in less days. For late ripening varieties, keep the distance of plants 7-8 inches and remove the rest of the plants.

Recommended quantity of plants per acre:

     It is very important to meet the recommended number of plants per acre to get rich production. Therefore, farmers are requested to meet the number of maize plants.

Major diseases of maize and their control:

Seed and Seedling diseases:

Due to this disease, the seed either does not germinate after sowing in the soil or after germination it is grown to 3 to 9 inches, it is wilt and dries up. Different types of fungi present in the soil cause this disease.

Control:

This disease can be controlled by treating the seeds with recommended fungicides before cultivation.

Stem Rot:

Maize stem rot disease is a commonly occurring dangerous disease. The rotting of plants usually starts from the bottom to the other. There is a special smell from the affected part of the disease. Due to the severity of the disease, the leaves start to turn yellow and dry up. The plants rot from the affected area and fall to the ground. In this disease, if the plant does not fall to the ground, the cobs bend downwards. The grains remain small and wrinkle. Which reduces production significantly. The following different fungi and bacteria are responsible for the rot of maize stem.

1. Erwinia crysanthamae
2. Macrophomina phaseolina
3. Cephalosporium maydis

Control:

• Cultivate varieties that are resistant to stem rot.
• The fertility of the soil should be kept balanced and there should be no shortage of potash, especially in the soil.
• Do not use nitrogenous fertilizers more than requirement.
• Do not cultivate maize for the next few years in the disease-affected fields and cultivate the crops by rotation.
• Cultivate the seeds by applying the recommended fungicide.
• After harvesting the maize crop, destroy the residues as soon as possible.
• Keep the plant - plant and ridge - ridge distance recommended.
• Apply irrigation to the crop according to the requirement and remove excess rain water from the field immediately.
• At any stage of growth, remove and destroy the affected plants including the roots.

Smut of maize:

Maize fungal disease is caused by the attack of a fungus called Ustilago maydis.  It is a dangerous Maize disease in the northern regions.

Symptoms:

fungi create white or blackish galls on the affected plants. These galls also appear on male parts, leaves, and shoots. When the galls mature, the membrane above them bursts, and a black powder containing spores appears from inside. When these galls are formed at the cob, the grains are not formed in the cob and the production decreases.

Control:

• Varieties that are resistant to the disease should be cultivated.
• Maize crop should not be cultivated in the affected fields for the next few years.
• Stubble of the crop from the affected fields should be collected and burnt.
• Cultivate the seeds by applying fungicide.

Leaf blight of maize leaf:

Notable among the fungi responsible for the burning of Maize leaves are Helminthosporium turcicum, Helminthosporium maydis. This disease not only causes a significant decrease in crop yield but also causes a decrease in the quality of fodder as food for cattle

Symptoms:

Symptoms of this disease appear in the form of small brown and white spots on the leaves. Which can spread up to 6 inches in the length of the leaf.

Control:

• Those varieties of maize should be cultivated that are resistant to the disease.
• Last year's affected crop stubble should be destroyed.
• In case of diseased, spray suitable pesticide in consultation with the staff of the Agriculture.

Ear and grain rot:

There are many fungi responsible for the rot of Maize cobs, including Diplodia maydis, Fusarium sp., Nigrospora oryzae, Penicillium sp., Aspergilus sp. are notable, which reduce crop yield, quality of grains and their nutritional value. This disease is found in almost every field and the rate of production loss due to this disease mostly depends on the amount and duration of rainfall. If the rains are more during the ripening days of the cob, then the rate of rot will increase. In addition, hole making insects (insects, caterpillars) inside the cobs and weak-stem varieties falling from rain and winds, also lead to an increase in the rot of the cobs. Maize cobs that are covered within sheath are less affected by the disease.

Control:

• Weak stems and varieties falling from rain and winds should not be cultivated.
• Varieties that are resistant to the maize ear and grain rot should be cultivated.
• The fertility of the field should be balanced by adding adequate fertilizer.
• Control the insects penetrating and drilling holes inside the cobs by spraying the recommended pesticides.
• After the harvest, the remaining residues of the plants in the field should be collected and burnt.

Integrated method of control harmful insects of maize crop :

Weed control is essential for obtaining high yield of crop. It is estimated that in some cases, maize production may be reduced by 30 to 50% due to weeds. Hoeing also be done to control weeds in small scale cultivated crop. Spray Atrazine + S-Metolachlor 720 SC at 800 ml per acre or Spray within one month after germination Mezotrion+ Atrazine 48 SC at 650 ml per acre. If the deela is not controlled, then Mezotrion+ Atrazine can be sprayed second time.

Apply 12 to 14 irrigations to spring crop of maize while 10 to 12 irrigations to kharif crop cultivated.

Irrigation Guidelines:

• crop cultivated in a flat land 10-12 days after the first irrigation while the crop cultivated on ridges irrigation continues till it germinates.
• Do not let the crop dry in the milky state of grain, flowering, process.
• Reduce irrigation interval in extreme heat and increase interval when temperature decreases.
• Immediately drain excess water from the field after rain.
• Do not let the crop dry during the germination process. Apply half irrigation in case of water shortage i.e. Leave one furrow and apply irrigation to the other. This process can be done only in the crop cultivated on the rigdes. The crop cultivated on the ridges every ridge must be irrigated.

Use of chemical fertilizers:

The requirement of fertilizers for the crop is measured by the basic fertility of the soil, water logged, its type and nature, quality of available water, abundance of cultivation of different crops and previous crop are the basic factors on which it can be done. Get the soil analysis from laboratory for this and use the recommended fertilizers. Use the fertilizers for sweet corn and Pop making maize (Pop Corn) according to the rate given for the common variety.

Fertilizer recommendations for hybrid varieties:

Fertilizer recommendations for common varieties (irrigation areas)

Fertilizer recommendations for Synthetic varieties (rainfed areas)

Instructions on the consumption of fertilizers:

• one month before sowing, add well rotten manure of the dung at 9 to 12 tonnes (3 to 4 trolleys) per acre.
• Add manure at the time of sowing before making ridges.
• Add all recommended fertilizer at sowing time in the rainfed areas.

Using zinc and boron:

In maize crops, use 21% zinc sulfate at 10 kg or 33% zinc sulphate at 6 kg while borax (11% boron) at 3 kg per acre or use another compound to substitute them.

Symptoms of deficiency of nutrient elements:

Nitrogen:

In case of nitrogen deficiency, the growth of plants stops. The color of the leaves begins to turn yellow. Older leaves are more affected in case of high deficiency and these symptoms are then visible on new leaves. The yellowness in the leaf starts from its pointed end and leads to the wide. The leaves later turn brown.

Phosphorus:

The growth of plants stops. The root system is left weak. The pointed ends of the leaves turn purple. leaf looks dark green.

potash:

Initially, in case of a shortage of potash, the leaves are covered with white markings which later turn brown.

When the inner peels of cobs dry, the grains become shiny and hard, the nails in grains cannot be pricked, and if grains are separated from the cob, their pointed ends are black or brown, then understand that the crop is Physiologically Mature and ready for harvest. At that time moisture in grains ranges about 30 to 35%. The crop should be harvested at this stage. If maize is harvested before the above symptoms appear i.e. green unripen, so there is no complete Grain Filling as a result production decreases. Also, if it is used as a seed, its germination is affected. Similarly, if the crop is not harvested on time after ripening, there is a possibility of damage due to crop fall and bird eating. If it rains after the crop falls, the grain gets damaged due to fungi.

Clean the store thoroughly to store grains and spray recommended pesticide in it and close doors and windows for 4 hours to kill insects in the store. Maize can be stored in the form of Cobs or grains.  If there is already grain in the store, keep it separate. Apply separate labels for sale of the stored maize in the store i.e. grain market and for seed use so that no chance of any mistake. Use 30-35 Aluminium phosphide tablets per thousand cubic feet of volume to protect grain from pests during the rainy season and keep the store closed for at least a week.