PACKAGE OF PRACTICES

Ideal soil for cultivation

Red sandy loam to medium black soils with good drainage facilities are preferable. Maize does not come up well in saline, alkaline and waterlogged soils.

Land Preparation

Prepare the field by ploughing the land 2–3 times with a mouldboard and then crush the clods using a rotavator to bring the soil to fine tilth. Add FYM or compost at the rate of 10 Ton/Acre during last ploughing and level the land.

Sowing time

Kharif: June–July
Rabi: October–November

Seed Rate

8–10 kg/acre

Spacing

Row to Row – 60 cm
Plant to plant – 20 cm
Plant Population – 31000–33000 plants/acre

Dose of Fertilizer

Apply N:P:K in the ratio of 70:24:25 kg/acre – Kharif
Apply N:P:K in the ratio of 85:35:35 kg/acre – Rabi

Fertilizer Schedule (Common land)

Basal dose

Kharif: N – 20, P – 24, K – 10
Rabi: N – 30, P – 35, K – 15

1st Top-dressing (25–30 DAS)

Kharif: N – 25
Rabi: N – 25

2nd Top dressing (55–60 DAS)

Kharif: N – 25, K – 15
Rabi: N – 30, K – 20

Irrigation Schedule

Sowing Time (0–15 days) – Light Irrigation
Knee height (30–35 days) – Critical stage
Tasseling & Silking (50–70 days) – Most critical stage
Seed setting (80+ days) – Moderate

Excessive water stagnation can be harmful to the crop.

Weeding

Broad leaf weed

Type of herbicide: Pre-emergent
Herbicide Name: Atrazine 50% WP
Dosage: 400 gm in 200 lit of water
Time of Application: Immediately after sowing

Broad + Narrow leaves

Type of herbicide: Post-Emergent
Herbicide Name: Tembotrione 34.4% SC
Or
Topramezone (33.6% SC)
Dosage: 115 ml in 200 lit of water
Time of Application: 30 days after sowing

After 30–35 days crop is to be intercultivated and earthing up should be done.

CROP PROTECTION

Control and management of Maize pest

Fall Army worm

Symptom: Leaf damage, Whorl damage
Mechanical control: Installation of pheromone
Chemical Control:
Emamectin Benzoate 5% SG – 4g/10 lit
Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC – 3g/10 lit

Stem Borer

Symptom: Withering and drying of Central shoot – Dead Heart
Mechanical control: Light Trap
Chemical Control: Carbofuran 3G @ 17 kg/acre

Aphids

Symptom: Suck the sap from plants
Mechanical control: Yellow and blue sticky traps
Chemical Control: Dimethoate 30 EC 100 ml in 100 lit of water

Diseases of maize and their management

Downy Mildew

Seed treatment – Metalaxyl @ 6g/kg
Spray – Metalaxyl + Mancozeb @ 2.5g/lit

Turcicum Leaf Blight

Spray Mancozeb @ 2g/lit

Maydis Leaf Blight

Spray Mancozeb @ 2g/lit

Brown Spot

Spray Metalaxyl @ 5g/lit

Stalk rot

Soil drench with Captan at basal internode @ 1g/lit

Late Wilt

Spray Azoxystrobin @ 3g/lit

Rust

Spray Mancozeb @ 2g/lit

Harvesting of crop

The physiological maturity could be identified by looking for a black-layer at the base of kernel. Harvesting at low moisture content (15–20%) and storing in dry condition increases the longevity of grains in storage.