🌱 Requirements for Maize Cultivation
- Climate: Tropical & Subtropical | 20–40°C (optimum 25–35°C) | 75–150 cm rainfall with irrigation | Abundant sunlight needed.
- Soil: Deep, fertile alluvial or black soil | pH 6.0–8.0 | High organic matter.
- Seed Material: Stem cuttings (setts) with 2–3 buds.
🚜 Cultivation Practices
- Land Preparation: Deep ploughing, organic manure, leveling.
- Planting: Tropical (Feb–Mar, Sept–Oct) | Subtropical (Feb–Mar). Ridge & furrow/trench/flat system. Spacing 75–100 cm.
- Irrigation: Frequent irrigation during tillering & elongation. Avoid waterlogging.
- Fertilization: Balanced NPK + organic matter & green manuring.
- Intercultural Ops: Weeding, earthing up, trash mulching.
- Pest/Disease Mgmt: Pests – borers, termites, grubs. Diseases – red rot, smut, wilt. Use resistant varieties, crop rotation, fungicides/insecticides.
🌾 Harvesting
Duration: 10–18 months depending on variety & climate.
Signs: Yellowing leaves, juice with 16–18% sugar.
Method: Cut close to ground with machete/knife.
🏭 Uses
- Sugar production
- Jaggery & khandsari
- Ethanol & biofuel
- Molasses (alcohol, yeast industry)
- Bagasse (paper, boards, power)
🌽 Maize Cultivation Guide
- 🌱 Climate & Soil: Warm-season crop | Optimum temp: 18–27°C | 500–800 mm rainfall | Sensitive to frost | Loamy, fertile soil (pH 6.0–7.5).
- 🌾 Land Preparation: Plow 2–3 times | Apply 10–15 t/ha FYM/compost.
- 🌽 Seed & Sowing: Grain: 20–25 kg/ha | Fodder: 40–50 kg/ha | Spacing: 60–75 × 20–25 cm | Depth: 3–5 cm | Seasons: Kharif (Jun–Jul), Rabi (Oct–Nov), Spring (Jan–Feb).
- 🌱 Manures & Fertilizers: 10–12 t FYM/ha + NPK (120:60:40 kg/ha) | N in 3 splits (basal, knee-high, tasseling).
- 💧 Irrigation: 4–5 irrigations at sowing, knee-high, tasseling, grain-filling | Critical at tasseling & silking.
- 🌿 Intercultural Ops: Weeding at 15–20 & 30–35 days | Earthing up at 30 days | Herbicides: atrazine, pendimethalin.
- 🐛 Pest/Disease: Stem borer, fall armyworm → neem/insecticides | Downy mildew, rust → resistant varieties & fungicides.
- 🌾 Harvesting & Yield: Grain: harvest at 20% grain moisture | Fodder: 60–75 DAS before flowering | Yield: 3–5 t/ha grain, 40–50 t/ha fodder.
- ✅ Uses: Food (flour, cornflakes) | Animal feed | Industrial (starch, ethanol, biofuel, beverages).