• SCIENTIFIC NAME : Zea mays

• FAMILY :Graminae

• CHROMOSOME NO :20

• ORIGIN :Central America &Mexico

PROTEIN :10%

OIL :4%

CARBOHYDRATES :70%

CRUDE FIBRE :2-3%

QUEEN OF

CEREALS

POPCORN

Maize is a C4 plant

It is a annual plant with about 3 m height

It is a Monoecious plant

Female inflorescence develop into ear/cob

Male inflorescence is called as “tassel”

Zea mays indurata(FLINT CORN)

Zea mays indendata(DENT CORN)

Zea mays saccharata(SWEET CORN)

Zea mays everta(POP CORN)

•Zea mays ceratina(WAXY CORN)

•Zea mays amylacea(SOFT CORN)

•Zea mays tunicata(POD CORN)

• Low price

• Lack of markets

• Non availability of improved cultivars

• Weeds like Echinocloa, Cynodon dactylon

• Pests like rats, termites & diseases like seedling blight and leaf blight

• Water stress or water logging

WORLD•As regards to area and production maize ranks third in world(380 MT from 120MH) following wheat and rice •24% of the total cereal production .•USA,Brazil,China,Mexico,India

INDIA•U.P., Bihar, Rajasthan, MP and Punjab are producing states•AREA : 8782 ha•PRODUCTION : 21759 tonnes•PRODUCTIVITY : 2478 kg/ha

MAHARASHTRA•Very little contribution•AREA : 1170 ha•PRODUCTION:13470 Tonnes•PRODUCTIVITY: 1248 kg/ha

CLIMATE REQUIREMENTS

•Warm weather plant

•21oC- germination

•32oC-growth

•Extreme high temperature and low humidity interfere in crop growth and pollination

•50-70 cm well distributed rain is conductive to proper growth

SOIL REQUREMENT

•Well drained sandy loam to silty loam soil

•Not suited to heavy clays

•Water stagnation is harmful

•Alluvial soils in UP, Bihar, Punjab are well suited

VARIETIES

HYBRIDSGanga 11

Deccan 103Ganga 2

Deccan double hybridHigh starchDeccan 101

Ganga safed 2Vivek 9

Pusa hybrid 1Pusa hybrid 2

COMPOSITESPrabhat 3

NavjotPusa comp2Panchganga

KiranAmar

FODDER VARIETIESAfrican tall

BABY CORN VARIETIES

Golden baby, VL 42 Madhuri

•Seed production of improved varieties•Seed production Synthetics •Seed production Composites•Seed production Hybrid varieties

LAND REQUIREMENT :

Well aerated well drained field free from volunteer maize plants

ISOLATION REQUIREMENT:•Normally cross pollinated by wind so isolation is needed to prevent foreign pollen contamination•Foundation seed =400 m•Certified seed=200 m

LAND PREPARATION:•Presowing irrigation•1 ploughing•2-3 harrowings

TIME OF SOWING•Best time- 2 weeks prior to the onset of monsoon•Second week of june to mid july

SEEDS AND SOWING•Obtain nucleus/breeder/foundation seed from certified agency•Seed rate-16-18 kg/ha•Sown in rows by using maize planter or by dibbling.•Seed treated with bavistin@3g/kg of seed

FERTILIZER APPLICATION•120:60:40 kg npk per ha•40:60:40 basal dose•40kg N 30-35 days after sowing•40 kg N at tasseling stage 50 days after sowing•In Zn deficient soil 25 Kg ZnSO4 per ha

INTERCULTURE•Weed control essential for 30-45 days after sowing•Timely weeding done•Pre emergence application of atrazine (1.5 kg in 1000 lit water per ha

PLANT PROTECTION MEASURES ADOPTED

INSECT CONTROL

STEM BORER&PINK BORER

Quinalphos 25 EC @

2 lit/ha

HAIRYCATTERPILLARS,

ARMY WORMS,HOPPE

RS

10%BHC dust

SHOOT FLYQuinalphos 25

EC @2 lit/ha

DISEASE CONTROL

SEEDLING BLIGHT&

LEAF BLIGHT

Seed treatment with

bavistin@3g/kg of seed

DOWNY MILDEWSpray dithane M 45@1.5kg/500 lit

water

BACTERIALSTALK ROT

Apply bleaching powder 2.5 kg in 800 lit water/ha

PYTHIYUM STALKROT

Provide proper drainage&balanced nutrition,spraythiram or captan

2.5 kg/1000 e

ROUGING •Not much rouging required•Off types, malformed and diseased are rouged out

HARVESTING ,SHELLING &YIELD

•Harvesting At 15% moisture content

•If artificial heated air drying is available we can harvest at 30-35% moisture content.

•Sort out damaged ears and shelling is undertaken after the approval of seed certification agency

•Average yield: 25 to 30 Qtls

There are 3 steps:

Maintenance of parental lines (inbred lines)

production of single cross

Production of commercial hybrid

Maintenance of inbred lines

LAND REQUIREMENT :

Well aerated well drained field free from volunteer maize plants

ISOLATION REQUIREMENT:•Maize with same kernel colour and texture=400 m•Maize with different kernel colour and texture=600 m

LAND PREPARATION:•Presowing irrigation•1 ploughing•2-3 harrowings

TIME OF SOWING•Best time- 2 weeks prior to the onset of monsoon•Second week of june to mid july

SEEDS AND SOWING•Obtain nucleus/breeder/foundation seed from certified agency•Seed rate-15 kg/ha•Sown in rows by using maize planter or by dibbling.•Seed treated with bavistin@3g/kg of seed

FERTILIZER APPLICATION•120:60:40 kg npk per ha•40:60:40 basal dose•40kg N 30-35 days after sowing•40 kg N at tasseling stage 50 days after sowing•In Zn deficient soil 25 Kg ZnSO4 per ha

INTERCULTURE•Weed control essential for 30-45 days after sowing•Timely weedingdone•Pre emergance application of atrazine (1.5 kg in 1000lit water per ha

ROUGING

•Rigorous rouging is required for off types before pollen shedding

•Rouging is done at preflowering stage for off types;

flowering stage to remove plants differing in tassel or silk characters;

final rouging remove stalk rot affected plants

HARVESTING ,SHELLING &YIELD•Harvesting At 15% moisture content

•If artificial heated air drying is available we can harvest at 30-35% moisture content.

•Sort out damaged ears and shelling is undertaken after the approval of seed certification agency

•Average yield: 6 to 8 Qtls according to inbred line an region

Single cross production

LAND REQUIREMENT :

Well aerated well drained field free from volunteer maize plants

ISOLATION REQUIREMENT:•Maize with same kernel colour and texture=400 m•Maize with different kernel colour & texture=600 m

PRINCIPLE:

Foundation seed is produced by the cross between inbreds

LAND PREPARATION:•Presowing irrigation•1 ploughing•2-3 harrowings

TIME OF SOWING•Best time- 2 weeks prior to the onset of monsoon•Second week of June to mid July

SEEDS AND SOWING•2 specified inbreds are required( ie, male and female)• planting ratio between male and female rows is kept as 2:4•Seed rate : female parent:10 kg/ha

male parent :5 kg/ha

ROUGING

•Rigorous rouging is required for off types before pollen shedding

•Rouging is done at

preflowering stage for off types;

flowering stage to remove plants differing in tassel or silk characters;

final rouging remove stalk rot affected plants

DETASSELING

•Removal of tassel from female parent to ensure the cross is called as detasseling

•Parent furnish pollen =pollen parent or male parent•Detasseled parent =female parent

HARVESTING ,SHELLING &YIELD•Harvesting At 15% moisture content

•Male rows are harvested first and can be used for commercial use•Female ears used as seed

•Sort out damaged ears and shelling is undertaken after the approval of seed certification agency

•Average yield: 4 to 6 Qtls per ha

Seed production of commercial hybrids

LAND REQUIREMENT :

Well aerated well drained field free from volunteer maize plants

ISOLATION REQUIREMENT:•Maize with same kernel colour and texture=200 m•Maize with different kernel colour and texture=300 m

Commercial hybrids are 3 way cross,double cross or double top cross hybrids.Seed produced is certified

LAND PREPARATION:•Presowing irrigation•1 ploughing•2-3 harrowings

TIME OF SOWING•Best time- 2 weeks prior to the onset of monsoon•Second week of june to mid july

SEEDS AND SOWING•High yielding single cross used as female•Male parent(pollinator) will be single cross/open pollinated variety/inbred line • planting ratio between male and female rows is kept as 6:2•Seed rate : female parent:12-14 kg/ha

male parent :4-5 kg/ha

ROUGING

•Rigourous rogging is required for offtypes before pollen shedding

•Rouging is done at preflowering stage for off types;

flowering stage to remove plants differing in tassel or silk characters;

final rouging remove stalk rot affected plants

DETASSELING

•Removal of tassel from female parent to ensure the cross is called as detasseling

•Parent furnish pollen =pollen parent or male parent•Detasseled parent =female parent

HARVESTING ,SHELLING &YIELD•Harvesting At 15% moisture content

•Male rows are harvested first and can be used for commercial use•Female ears used as seed

•Sort out damaged ears and shelling is undertaken after the approval of seed certification agency

•Average yield: 10-25 Qtls per ha according to area

REFERENCE

• SEED TECHNOLOGY- R L Agrawal

• Wikipedia encyclopedia and other sites in internet

• MODERN TECHNIQUES OF RAISING FIELD CROPS- Chhidda singh, Prem singh, Rajbir singh

• www.cimmyt.org

• Official website of Directorate of Maize Research, New Delhi