Dr. Parveen Kumar
Known as ‘queen of cereals’, Maize is an important crop of the rainfed regions of the world. In India, it is considered third most important crop after Paddy and Wheat and is one of the most versatile emerging crops having wider adaptability under varied agro-climatic conditions. In addition to staple food for human being and quality feed for animals, maize serves as a basic raw material as an ingredient to thousands of industrial products that includes starch, oil, protein, alcoholic beverages, food sweeteners, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, film, textile, gum, package and paper industries etc. This crop has the distinction of being grown both in Kharif and Rabi seasons, however about 83% of the area under cultivation of maize is during Kharif season in the country. All across the globe, Maize is cultivated on nearly 205 million hectares in about 166 countries, which have a wide diversity of soil, climate, biodiversity, and management practices, contributing to 39% of global grain production. The United States of America (USA) is the largest producer of Maize contributing nearly 30.99% of the total production in the world. Turkey has highest productivity of 13 metric ton per hectare followed by USA with 11 metric ton per hectare. India stands at 66th position in productivity with 3 metric ton per hectare. Maize contributes around 10 percent of total food grain production in the country.
Unfortunately, the productivity of maize in the country is low as compared to other countries. A lot of factors are responsible for the low productivity. While the crop being grown in rainfed regions, the availability of timely and adequate rainfall is one of the limiting factors determining its productivity; its cultivation still with the use of crude and traditional methods without following any scientific procedure also plays a crucial role in limiting its production per unit area. The article carries a detail on the scientific cultivation of maize:
Soil requirement:
Maize can be grown on a variety of soils ranging from loamy sand to clay loam. However, soils with good organic matter content having high water holding capacity with neutral pH are considered good for higher productivity. As maize is sensitive to moisture stress particularly excess soil moisture and salinity stresses; it is thus advisable to avoid cultivating maize in low lying fields having poor drainage and with higher salinity. Before sowing the fields should be well prepared with four to five ploughings to get a good tilth. Fields should have provision of proper drainage.
Time of sowing:
As mentioned earlier, Maize can be grown in both the seasons. In the Kharif, it is sown usually before the onset of monsoon; however it can also be sown after the onset of monsoon. In the Rabi season it is sown as winter maize. During Rabi/spring seasons to achieve higher yield at farmer’s field assured irrigation facilities are required. During Kharif season it is desirable to complete the sowing operation 12-15 days before the onset of monsoon; here the seed germinates with the residual moisture or even pre-monsoon showers. The sowing of maize in regions with rainfed conditions in the Kharif season should coincide with the onset of monsoon.
Seed rate and varieties:
To achieve higher production the seed rate recommended is 20 kilogram per hectare in plain areas. However, as it is a crop of rainfed regions and to compensate the losses due to poor germination or bird damage, seed rate can be increased to 35 kilogram per hectare. The seed should be treated with Bavistin or Captan at the rate of 2 gram per kilogram of seed. Now as the government is promoting Natural Farming, seed treatment with Beejamrit @ 20 litres of Beejamrit for 100 kg of seed proves very effective. Seed treatment protects the plants from various diseases. The important hybrid varieties which perform well under changing climatic conditions in the country are Double Dekalb, Kanchan 517, Star Gagan Gold, Pusa Vivek, Tip Top, Ganga Hybrid-1, Ganga Hybrid-101, Ganga Safed, Malviya, Prakash, Maize-4794 etc. The important composite varieties are Shalimar KG-1 & 2, Vivek-35 & 37, D-994, Vijay, Trikuta, Mansar, Pratap Makka, Hemant and Lakshmi etc
Sowing and Interculture:
Maize should be sown in lines. Seeds can be sown with the help of maize planter which maintains optimum row to row and plant to plant distance. The plant to plant distance should be 20 cm and the row to row distance should be 60 cm. In case of intercropping, it can be increased to 75 cm. Interculture is also an important part of maize cultivation process. These operations are necessary to remove the unwanted plants as well as to increase the soil aeration ultimately benefiting the plant growth. The maize crop requires two manual intercultural operations. The first Interculture is when the crop is 20-25 days old and the second Interculture when the plant is at the knee high stage.
Intercropping in Maize:
Maize can be intercropped with a variety of pulse crops such as mash, moong and cowpea; vegetables such as spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, peas and potatoes; flowers like gladiolus, oilseeds like mustard and with other crops like sugarcane.
Fertilizers/Microbial preparations under Natural Farming:
Application of about ten to twelve tonnes of well decomposed Farm Yard Manure (FYM) ten to fifteen days prior to sowing in the fields not only increases the fertility of soil but also maintains soil in good health. As far as fertilizers are concerned (PoP, SKUAST-Jammu), Maize crop in rainfed regions responds well to per hectare application of 100 kilogram of Urea, 90-95 kilogram of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) and about 33 kilogram of Murate of Potash (MOP). However in irrigated plain areas, it is advisable to apply Urea @ 145kg/ha, DAP 132 kg/ha and MOP @50 kg/ha. It is also recommended to apply full quantity of DAP and MOP as basal dose, but Urea should be applied in split doses. Two third of the urea recommended should be given as a basal dose at the time of sowing while the remaining urea should be applied as two equal split doses at 30 days (knee high stage) and 60 days (before Tassel formation) of crop growth. Zinc Sulphate @10 kg/ha in rainfed regions and @ 25 kg/ha in irrigated plains should also be applied to the fields once in every three years. Under Natural Farming, it is advisable to apply Jeevamrit to the fields either while irrigating the fields or by spraying. The Jeevamrit should be applied @200 litres for one acre of fields and should possibly be applied before the sowing is done. Jeevamrit increases microbial activity in the soil, help retain moisture in the soil and increases fertility of soil though various essential nutrients it contains. Chemical fertilizers should be applied only if the soil shows deficiency of these nutrients.
Weed management:
Weeds are also a very serious problem in maize, particularly during kharif /monsoon season causing yield loss up to 35 per cent. Therefore, timely weed management is needed for achieving higher yield. To control weeds in maize Pre-emergence application of Atrazine (Atratraf 50 wettable powder) @ of 1.0-1.5 kg a.i/ha in 600 litres water, Alachlor (Lasso) @ 2-2.5 kg a.i/ha, Metolachlor (Dual) @ 1.5-2.0 kg a.i/ha, Pendamethalin (Stomp) @ 1-1.5 kg a.i/ha effectively control many annual and broad leaved weeds. Fluchloralin @0.75 kg a.i/ha can also be used as pre plant incorporation. Atrazine being a selective and broad-spectrum herbicide in maize checks the emergence of wide spectrum of weeds. One to two hoeing are recommended for aeration and uprooting of the remaining weeds, if any. Another important selective herbicide recommended for post emergent control of weeds is Tembotrone which also effectively controls the weed without damaging the maize crop.
Insect pests control:
Spotted Stalk borer (Chillo Partellus) is the major pest of maize in India during monsoon season. It lays eggs 10-25 days after germination on lower side of the leaves. The larva of the Chilo enters in the whorl and cause damage in the leaves. Intercropping of maize with suitable varieties of cowpea is an eco-friendly option for reducing the incidence of Chilo on maize. Shoot fly is also a serious pest in south India but it also appears on spring and summer maize crop in North India. It attacks mainly at seedling stage of the crop. To avoid infestation by shoot fly seed treatment with Imidachloropid @ 6ml/kg seed is recommended. Termites are also an important pest in many areas. For control of termite Fepronil granules should be applied @ 20 kg ha-1 followed by light irrigation. If the termite incidence is in patches, than spot application of Fepronil @ 2-3 granules/plant should be done. Clean cultivation delays termite attack. Last few years have witnessed the infestation of maize by Fall Armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera Frugiperda. FAW is an insect pest that feeds on more than 350 crop species causing damage to economically important cultivated cereals such as maize, rice, sorghum and also to legumes as well as different vegetable crops and cotton. The symptoms of the attack of FAW include irregular holes in leaves. In severe infestations, leaves may be completely stripped leaving only the veins. The control of FAW includes pesticides, cultural practices, natural enemies, Integrated Plant Management and resistance. Chemicals used to control FAW include Emamectin Benzoate 5% SG @ 80gm.acre, Novaluron 10 EC @ 50 ml/ha, Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC @ 80 ml/acre or Spinetoram 11.7% sc @ 100ml/acre. However, it is advisable for the farmers to consult an expert when going for chemical control. Besides Pheromone traps can also be installed @4.acre soon after sowing. Planting of 3-4 rows of Napier grass/hybrid Napier as trap crop around maize fields is also useful.
Disease control:
Estimated losses due to major diseases of maize in India is about 13.2% of which foliar diseases account for 5 per cent and stalk rots, root rots and ear rots accounting for another 5 per cent cause major yield losses. Head smut of Maize results in replacement of entire cob with a black spore mass resulting in a complete grain loss. Such a condition can be controlled with sanitation, seed treatment and destruction of affected plants after uprooting them. The leaf blights are common in cooler conditions and high humidity areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The disease is characterized by long elliptical greenish brown lesions on leaves. It can be controlled by application of Mancozeb or Zineb @ 2.5g/litre of water. Bleaching powder (33% chlorine) @ 10 kg/ha as soil drench also helps in the control of the stalk rots.
Under Natural Farming, various types of insect pests and diseases can be controlled by extracts made from different plants available locally like Neem, Papaya, Bitterguord, Pomegranate, Cascuta, Datura, Karanj, Custard Apple, Drum Stick, and Lantana along with products like Tobacco, Chilli, Turmeric, Hing and Garlic etc. Preparations like Brahmastra, Agniastra and Dashparni extract can be successfully tried depending upon the level of infestation. These formulations can be applied even as a preventive measure.
(The author writes on agriculture and social issues)
