Maize

• Maize requires fertile, deep and well-drained soils.
• Although, it can be grown on any type of soil, ranging from deep heavy clays to light-sandy ones, it is best adapted to well drain sandy loam to silty loam soils.
• It is, however, necessary that the pH of the soil does not deviate from the range 7.5 to 8.5.
• Red soils with good water holding capacity and Black soils with good drainage facility are suitable. Alkaline/saline soils should be avoided.

• Seeds can be sown on ridges which conserves water, also protects from water logging , Sowing time Kharif: June – July Rabi: October – December
• Seed rate- 7-8 kg/acres
• Spacing row to row- 60cm and plant to plant 20-25cm
• Thinning should be practiced and managed to see one seedling per hill.

• Crop should be irrigated at regular intervals based on available soil moisture and soil type.
• Sufficient moisture at flowering and grain filling stage is very critical for realizing high yields. Stagnation of water at early stages of crop growth should be avoided.

• Weed Control: Sparying of Atrazine @ 4 g/ltr, 2-3 daysafter sowing. Intercultivation and earthing up at 25-30 days crop can be done.
• Pests and Diseases Management: Stem Borer 12/15 days after sowing Endosulfan 2ml/ltr is sprayed. 4-5 Carbofuran 3G granules/leaf whorls at 25-30 days crop can be applied Leaf Blights After 30 and 45 days of sowing Propiconazole 1 ml/ltr or Hexaconazole 2ml/litre is sprayed.

• The maize crop is harvested when the husk has turned yellow and the grains are hard enough having not more than 20 per cent moisture
• The appearance of the plant may be misleading, particularly in the case of high yielding hybrids and composites whose grains are dry, while the stalk and leaves may be still green.
• Ears are removed from the standing crop. Harvested ears are dried in the sun before shelling.