MAIZE (Zea mays) Cultivation Notes BSc Agriculture

AGRON – 211 Crop Production Technology – I (Kharif Crops)

CULTIVATION NOTES BSc Agriculture

• MAIZE – Zea mays
• Family – Poaceae
• 2n- 20
• Origin place –Central America and Mexico

Importance of Maize

• Maize is referred to as the “queen of cereals” due to its high yield per hectare among cereal crops.
• Grown in all countries except Antarctica.
• Adaptable to a wide range of climates.
• National Commission on Agriculture suggests increasing maize’s contribution to total food grain production from 6-7% to 10%.

• Mainly used as a food crop by the rural population.
• Commonly consumed in the form of bread and gruel.

• Maize has around 50 different industrial uses.
• Examples include the manufacture of starch, syrup, alcohol, acetic acid, lactic acid, glucose, paper, rayon, plastic, textiles, adhesives, dyes, synthetic rubber, resin, artificial leather, and boot polish.

Economic Importance

• Grilled Cobs: Cobs harvested slightly before maturation are grilled.
• Soups and Pancakes: Made from corn flour.
• Fermented Corn: Commonly consumed.
• Popcorn: A popular snack globally.
• Tortillas: Corn flour is processed into tortillas, especially in Mexico and Latin America.

• Corn Flour: Used to prepare corn flakes.
• Corn Germ Oil: A good cooking medium.
• Corn Starch: Raw material for many brews and jams, also used in producing alcohol.
• Starch-based Adhesive: Used in various industries.
• Corn Proteins: Utilized in pharmaceuticals and textiles.
• Corn Germ: Used in soap making.

Classification of Maize Types

1. Dent Corn (Zea mays var. indentata Sturt)

• Description: Most common type grown in South America.
• Kernel Characteristics: Dent formation on the top, yellow or white color.
• Formation: The dent is due to rapid drying and shrinkage of soft starch.

2. Flint Corn (Zea mays var. indurata Sturt)

• Description: Widely grown in India.
• Kernel Characteristics: Soft and starchy endosperm in the center, hard outer layer, rounded top. Color may be white or yellow.
• Growing Regions: Europe, Asia, Central America, and South America.

3. Popcorn (Zea mays var. everta Sturt)

• Description: Known for its exceptional qualities.
• Kernel Characteristics: Small size, hard endosperm.
• Usage: Kernels explode when heated, used for human consumption, basis of popcorn confectionery.
• Cultivation: Mainly in the New World.

4. Flour Corn (Zea mays var. amylacea Sturt)

• Description: Possesses a soft endosperm.
• Kernel Characteristics: Soft kernels, commonly white and blue, fruit kernel shape.
• Growing Regions: USA and South Africa.

5. Sweet Corn (Zea mays var. saccharata Sturt)

• Description: Known for its sweetish taste.
• Kernel Characteristics: Sugar and starch are major components of the endosperm, resulting in a sweet taste before maturity. After maturity, kernels become wrinkled.
• Usage: Cobs are picked green for canning and table purposes.
• Growing Regions: Mainly in the northern half of the USA.

6. Pod Corn (Zea mays var. tunicata Kulesh)

• Description: Primitive type of corn with no significant importance.
• Kernel Characteristics: Each kernel is enclosed in a pod.

7. Waxy Corn (Zea mays var. ceratina Kulesh)

• Description: Known for its waxy appearance.
• Kernel Characteristics: The endosperm gives a waxy appearance when cut or broken.
• Usage: Produces starch similar to tapioca starch, used for making adhesives.

Soil Requirements for Maize

• Deep, fertile, rich in organic matter, and well-drained soils.
• Medium textured with good water holding capacity.
• Loamy or silty loam soil, or silty clay loam soil with fairly permeable subsoil.

• Very sensitive to water logging.
• Care required during rainy season to avoid water stagnation on the soil surface for more than 4-5 hours.

Ideal Soil Characteristics:

• Neither too clayey nor too sandy.
• pH range: 6.5 to 7.5.
• Exchangeable capacity: Around 20 milli-equivalent/100g.
• Base saturation: 70-90%.
• Bulk density: About 1.3 g/cc.
• Water-holding capacity: About 16 cm/m depth.

Climatic Requirements for Maize

• Planting to Emergence: 9 to 30°C.
• Emergence to Silking: Leaf number increases with temperature and photoperiod.
• Tasseling: Time to tassel increases as diurnal variation increases from 0-17°C.
• Maximum Growth Rate: Achieved at 30°C.
• Higher solar radiation enhances photosynthesis in maize.

Seasons for Maize Cultivation

Kharif Season:

• Sowing Time: With the onset of monsoon, i.e., in June or July.
• Harvesting Time: Late September or October.

Rabi Season:

• Sowing Time: From October to January, as an irrigated crop.

Optimal Sowing Time: Sowing maize about 5 days before the onset of the monsoon (last week of May to the second week of June) and providing irrigation can result in a good plant stand and highest grain yields.

Seed Bed Preparation for Maize

Tillage Operations:

• At least 2-3 shallow tillage operations during the summer season are essential in all maize growing areas.

Deep Ploughing:

• Helps control weeds.
• Aids in efficient moisture conservation.

Bed and Furrow or Ridge and Furrow Systems:

• Suitable for semi-arid and sub-humid regions.

High Rainfall Regions:

• Poor drainage can reduce yields.
• Dehradun Valley: ZINGG terracing system has been found suitable to address drainage issues.

Maize Kharif Varieties

Hybrid Maize

Variety	Grain Type	Type of Corn	Duration (Days)	Yield (qt/hectare)	Stem Borer Infestation	Suitable Area
Ganga – 2	White flat smooth	Long solid soft	100-105	40-45	Too much	UP plains
Ganga – II	Yellow	–	100-110	45	–	UP plains

Composite Maize

Variety	Grain Type	Type of Corn	Duration (Days)	Yield (qt/hectare)	Stem Borer Infestation	Suitable Area
Tarun	Yellow flat cylindrical	Long solid	80-85	35-40	Less	Whole (UP)
Naveen	Yellow round	Long solid	80-85	35-40	Less	Whole (UP)
Kanchan	Yellow orange	Round cylindrical	75-80	35-40	Less	Whole (UP)
Shweta	White	Round flat	80-85	35-40	Less	Whole (UP)
D-765	Yellow round	Cylindrical	75	30-35	Less	UP plains
Surya	Yellow round	Cylindrical	75	30-35	Less	UP plains
Azad Uttam	Yellow orange	Round cylindrical	70	35-40	Less	UP plains
Novjyoti	Yellow orange	Medium size	75	40	–	Western UP
Mahi Kanchan	Yellow	Medium size	80-85	40-45	–	Whole UP
Local Merut	Yellow	Medium size	75-80	20-25	Less	UP plains
Jaunpuri	White	Medium size	70-75	20-25	Less	UP plains
Sartaj	Yellow	Long solid	100-110	50-55	Less	Whole UP
Prakash	Yellow	Long solid	85-90	45-50	Less	Whole UP
Deccan – 107	Yellow	Long solid	85-90	45-50	Less	Whole UP
Prabhat	Yellow	Long	100-110	40-45	Less	Whole UP
Gaurav	Yellow	Long solid	80-85	40-45	Less	Western Central UP

Rabi Maize Varieties

Variety	Colour & Size of Grain	Duration for Corn Appearance (Days)	Duration (Days)	Production (qt/hac)
Hybrid Varieties
Ganga-II	Orange – half flat	85-90	150-160	70-80
Deccan – 103	Yellow – half flat	85-90	150-160	60-80
Deccan – 105	Orange – half flat	85-90	150-160	60-80
Trisholta	Orange – half flat	85-90	150-160	70-80
High Starch	White – half flat	85-90	150-160	70-80

Seeds and Sowing for Maize

• Optimum Plant Population:
• 60,000-80,000 plants/ha for good yields.
• Seed Rate:
• Pure Crop: 20-25 kg/ha (planting distances: 60×25 cm or 75×20 cm).
• Intercropping with Soybean:
  • 15 kg/ha (1:2 ratio).
  • 10 kg/ha (1:3 ratio).
• Fodder Maize: 40-50 kg/ha.
• Test Weight: Influences seed rate; high flexibility in crop geometry.
• Optimum Crop Geometry: 45×20 cm is recommended.

Method of Sowing:

• Dibbling:
• Seeds should be placed 2-3 cm deep (not more than 5 cm) alongside ridges, about 1/3 from the top.
• Ridge sowing aids in irrigation and drainage.

Weed Management:

• Importance: Timely weed control is crucial for aeration and yields.
• Common Weeds:
• Grasses: Cynodon dactylon, Echinochloa colonum.
• Sedges: Cyperus iria, Cyperus rotundus, Fimbristylis miliacea.
• Broadleaved Weeds: Celosia argentea, Commelina bengalensis, Convolvulus arvensis, Tribulus terrestris, Solanum nigrum, Phyllanthus spp.

Apply the pre-emergence herbicide, Atrazine 50 WP @ 500 g/ha (900 lit of water) at 3 days
after sowing as spray on the soil surface followed by one hand weeding on 40-45 days after
sowing.

• Apply herbicide when there is sufficient moisture in the soil.
• Do not disturb the soil after herbicide application.
• Hoe and hand weed on the 17th or 18th day of sowing, if herbicide is not applied.
  NOTE: If pulse crop is to be raised as intercrop, do not use Atrazine.

Thinning and gap filling

• If two seeds were sown, leave only one healthy and vigorous seedling per hole and remove
  the other on the 12-15 days after sowing.
• Where seedlings have not germinated, dibble pre-soaked seeds at the rate of 2 seeds per hole
  and immediately irrigate.
  Hoeing, hand-weeding and earthing-up
• Hoe and hand-weed on the 30th day of sowing.
• Earth up and form new ridges so that the plants come directly on the top of the ridges. This
  will provide additional anchorage to the plants.

Water Management for Maize

• Maize is sensitive to both drought and waterlogging.
• Critical Periods:
  • Flowering Stage: Most sensitive to moisture stress (tasselling and silking).
  • Up to 40 DAS: Sensitive to excess moisture.
  • Preflowering to Maturity: Sensitive to drought.
• Water Usage:
• About 50% of seasonal water intake occurs during the 5 weeks post-maximum leaf area (around tasselling).
• Continuous saturation of topsoil for even 4 days can reduce yield by 50 q/ha.
• Recommendations:
• Grow maize on ridges in areas with poor drainage or heavy rainfall, or on black soils.
• Popcorn is particularly sensitive to drought; moisture stress during early vegetative stages can delay flowering.
• Irrigation Method:
• The furrow method of irrigation is efficient and convenient for maize.

Manures and Fertilizers for Maize

• Nitrogen (N):
• Continuous supply needed throughout growth until grain formation.
• Deficiency symptoms: yellowing of lower leaf tips spreading to mid ribs and upper leaves; significant yield reduction can occur early.
• Phosphorus (P):
• Higher requirement in early stages; essential for plant tissues and developing grains.
• Deficiency noticeable before the knee-high stage; rapid decline in fertilizer contribution as maturity approaches.
• Potassium (K):
• Uptake occurs from knee-high to post-flowering stages; generally adequate in AP soils.
• Immediate correction required if deficiency is identified.
• Zinc (Zn):
• Zn deficiency is common in many maize-growing areas.

Recommended Fertilizer Doses (Kg/ha)

Nutrient	Irrigated	Rainfed
Nitrogen (N)	120-150	80-100
Phosphorus (P)	60-75	40-50
Potassium (K)	Based on soil test	35
Zinc Sulfate (ZnSO4, once in 3 seasons)	25-50	25-50

Fertilizer Application Guidelines

• Rainfed Crops: Apply all fertilizers in a single dose as basal dressing, 10 cm away and 5 cm below seed rows.
• Irrigated Crops:
• Apply 2nd and 3rd splits of N in the afternoon when there’s no dew.
• Mix fertilizers into the soil with a hand hoe and irrigate immediately after application.
• Top Dressing: For rainfed crops, ensure adequate soil moisture or apply after rain when soil is suitable.
• Zinc Deficiency: Apply 25-50 kg ZnSO4/ha as a basal dose, not mixed with phosphatic fertilizers.

Diseases and Pests of Maize crop

Downy Mildew: Peranosclerospora sorghi

Symptoms:

1. Systemic infection as chlorosis which appears 10-14 days after infection.
2. Leaves tend to be narrower and more erect.
3. Plants infected early usually die at four weeks after infection.
4. Chlorosis is noticeable on the lower half of the leaf (Half-leaf symptom).
5. Chlorosis gradually covers the entire leaf surface at a later stage.
6. A white downy growth is seen on the lower leaf surface under humid, warm conditions.
7. Systemically infected plants do not form cobs, and if they do, the cobs are small and poorly filled.

Management:

1. Use disease-free healthy seeds.
2. Dry seeds to less than 14% moisture.
3. Practice deep tillage and crop rotations for more than three years.
4. Rogue diseased plants and alternate grass hosts.
5. Use disease-resistant hybrids such as TNAU COH(M)6, COH(M)8, and COH(M)11.
6. Treat seeds with metalaxyl @ 6g/kg of seeds.
7. Apply foliar spray with metalaxyl + mancozeb @ 1000 g or mancozeb 1000 g/ha after initial symptoms or at 20 DAP and 40 DAP.

Leaf Blight: Exserohilum turcicum & Helminthosporium maydis

Symptoms:

1. Long cigar-shaped grey-green to tan-coloured lesions on lower leaves.
2. Tan lesions are slender and oblong, tapering at the ends, ranging in size from 1 to 6 inches.
3. Lesions run parallel to leaf margins and coalesce to cover the entire leaf.
4. Spores are produced on the underside of the leaf.
5. Below the lesions, the fungus gives a dusty black/green fuzz appearance.
6. Leaves become greyish-green and brittle, resembling leaves killed by frost.

Management:

1. Burn or bury infected maize stubbles.
2. Spray mancozeb or zineb @ 2-4 g/l or propiconazole 25% EC @ 1ml/l on 35 and 50 days after sowing (DAS).

Common Rust: Puccinia sorghi

Symptoms:

1. Minute flecks appear on both sides of leaves.
2. Circular to elongate cinnamon brown, powdery, erumpent pustules on both leaf surfaces.
3. Brownish black pustules develop as the crop matures.
4. In severe cases, infection spreads to the sheath and other parts.

Management:

1. Remove alternate hosts.
2. Destroy crop remains by burning or burying.
3. Foliar spray of kresoxim-methyl 44.3% SC @ 1 ml/l or tebuconazole @ 1 ml/l or chlorothalonil or mancozeb @ 2 ml/l at 35 and 50 DAS.

Insects and Pests

Fall Armyworm: Spodoptera frugiperda

Symptoms of Damage:

1. Scrapping of leaf surface by young larvae.
2. Older larvae feed upon the central whorl, causing extensive defoliation.
3. Whorl, tassel, and cob fed by larvae.

Management:

1. Apply neem cake @ 250 kg/ha at the time of last ploughing.
2. Treat seeds with cyantraniliprole 19.8% + thiamethoxam 19.8% FS @ 4 ml/kg seed.
3. Border cropping with cowpea, gingelly, redgram, or sunflower (garden land) and fodder sorghum (dry land) @ 3 rows.
4. Set up FAW pheromone traps @ 12 nos./ha.
5. Spray azadirachtin 1500 ppm @ 2.5 lit/ha or chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC @ 200 ml/ha or flubendiamide 480 SC @ 250 ml/ha at the early stage (15 – 20 DAE).
6. Spray Metarhizium anisopliae (TNAU-MA-GDU isolate) @ 2.5 kg/ha or emamectin benzoate 5 SG @ 200 g/ha or novaluron 10 EC @ 750 ml/ha or spinetoram 11.7 SC @ 250 ml/ha at the late whorl stage (35 – 40 DAE).
7. Use one of the insecticides recommended for late whorl stages at the cob formation stage if needed, but avoid repetition.

Stem Borer: Chilo partellus

Symptoms of Damage:

1. Central shoot dries, leading to dead heart.
2. Young larvae feed on tender folded leaves causing a “shot hole” symptom.
3. Old larvae bore into the stem and feed on internal tissues.
4. Boreholes and tunneling are noticeable on the stem.

Management:

1. Inter-crop maize with cowpea in a 2:1 ratio.
2. Release egg parasitoid, Trichogramma chilonis @ 250,000/ha thrice at weekly intervals.
3. When infestation crosses 10%, spray dimethoate 30 EC @ 660 ml/ha or chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC @ 150 ml/ha.

Shoot Fly: Atherigona orientalis

Symptoms of Damage:

1. Infests crop from 2 days to 3 weeks after emergence.
2. Maggots feed on young growing shoots causing dead heart.

Management:

1. Treat seeds with imidacloprid 70 WS @ 10 g/kg or imidacloprid 600 FS @ 6 ml/kg or thiamethoxam 70 WS @ 3.5 ml/kg.
2. Remove and destroy stubbles.
3. Spray methyl demeton 25 EC @ 1000 ml/ha or dimethoate 30 EC @ 1155 ml/ha.

Corn Worm/Earworm: Helicoverpa armigera

Symptom of Damage:

1. Larva feeds on silk, developing grains, and cobs.

Management:

1. Set up light traps @ 1 no./ha.
2. Set up Helicoverpa sex pheromone traps @ 12 nos./ha.
3. Apply NPV twice at 10-day intervals at 1.5 x 10¹² POB along with crude sugar 2.5 kg + cotton seed kernel powder 250 g on the ear heads.
4. Spray malathion 5D @ 25 kg/ha or phosalone 4D @ 5 kg/ha.

Harvesting

• Maturity of Hybrids:
• Takes 90-110 days.
• Maturity Test: Husk turns pale brown; grains are hard (not pressed by a fingernail).
• Cobs should be harvested at about 20% grain moisture.
• Plants may remain green even when cobs are ready, allowing for use as fodder.

Shelling

• Drying Time: Leave harvested plants in the field for 1-2 days to allow grains to dry.
• Husk Removal: Remove husks and place cobs in the sun for 2-3 days before shelling.
• Moisture Content: Grains should be less than 15% moisture for easy separation.
• Shelling Methods: Can be done by beating with sticks or using hand/power-operated shellers.
• Post-Shelling: Clean and dry grains thoroughly; store at 10-12% moisture.

Popcorn Harvesting

• Harvest at: 30-35% moisture, dried slowly in the shade to prevent cracking.
• Shelling Moisture: Ideal at 12% moisture.
• Storage Moisture: Maintain at 12% in waterproof bags for optimal popping (12-14% moisture).

Yield Attributes

1. Number of cobs per plant.
2. Number of grains per cob.
3. Grain weight per cob.
4. Test weight (100-grain weight).

Yield

• Hybrids: 35-40 Q/ha.
• Local Varieties: 15-20 Q/ha.

High Lysine Composites

Shakti:

• Duration: 95-100 days;
• Protein: 10.6%;
• Lysine: 3.45%;
• Yield: 45 Q/ha.

Rattan:

• Duration: 95-100 days;
• Protein: 10%;
• Lysine: 3.46%;
• Yield: 40-45 Q/ha;
• Tolerant to top borer and downy mildew.

Protina:

• Duration: 100-105 days;
• Protein: 11%;
• Lysine: 4%;
• Yield: 40-45 Q/ha.

READ MORE – RICE CULTIVATOIN