Maize — Package of Practices
A versatile cereal for any season — give it a fertile, free-draining bed, never let it dry out at silking, and scout early for fall armyworm.
Overview
Maize is a versatile cereal grown for grain, fodder and food in the kharif, rabi and spring seasons. It is a heavy feeder and a high yielder under good management.
A strong plant stand, generous split nitrogen and unbroken moisture around tasseling and silking are the keys; fall armyworm is now the watch-pest.
Climate & season
Maize likes warm weather (about 21–30 °C) and bright sun; it is frost-sensitive.
- Grown across kharif, rabi and spring depending on region.
- Very sensitive to waterlogging.
- Moisture stress at silking severely cuts grain set.
Soil & land preparation
Best on a fertile, well-drained loam at pH 5.5–7.5.
- Prepare a fine tilth; form ridges and furrows where drainage is a concern.
- Mix in 10–12 t/ha farmyard manure.
- Avoid low, water-holding patches.
Choosing a type & seed
Choose grain, sweet or fodder hybrids to suit the market and season; hybrids give the highest, most uniform yields. No specific cultivar is named here.
Seed rate
- About 20 kg/ha for grain maize.
- Aim for 55,000–80,000 plants/ha.
- Place seed 3–5 cm deep.
Seed treatment
- Treat with a recommended fungicide (and insecticide where shoot fly or early armyworm is a risk).
- Sow good-vigour, fresh seed.
Sowing & spacing
- Sow into warm, well-drained soil at the right season.
- Keep rows 60–75 cm apart.
- Space plants 20–25 cm within the row.
- Sow 3–5 cm deep; thin to one healthy plant per hill.
- On heavy land, sow on ridges to keep roots out of standing water.
Nutrient management
Maize removes a lot of nutrients. Split the nitrogen across growth stages; many soils also respond to zinc.
| Input | Dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Farmyard manure | 10–12 t/ha | Basal |
| Nitrogen (N) split | 120–150 kg/ha | Basal · knee-high · tasseling |
| Phosphorus (P₂O₅) | 60 kg/ha | Full basal |
| Potash (K₂O) | 40 kg/ha | Basal |
| Zinc | Apply if deficient | Corrects white-bud/zinc deficiency |
Water management
Keep moisture steady; maize will not tolerate drought at flowering or standing water at the roots.
- Critical stages: knee-high, tasseling/silking and grain filling.
- Never let the crop stress at silking.
- Drain promptly after heavy rain.
Weed management
- The first 30–45 days are the critical weed-free period.
- Use a recommended pre-emergence herbicide with one intercultivation.
- Earth up around the base while weeding for support.
Plant protection
| Problem | Type | Watch for | Manage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall armyworm | Pest | Ragged whorl feeding, moist sawdust-like frass | Scout early, hand-pick egg masses, recommended insecticide into the whorl at threshold |
| Stem borer | Pest | Shot-holes in leaves, dead hearts | Destroy stubble, recommended insecticide if needed |
| Shoot fly | Pest | Dead hearts in young seedlings | Timely sowing, treated seed, good vigour |
| Turcicum leaf blight | Disease | Long greyish lesions on leaves | Resistant types, rotation, fungicide if severe |
| Downy mildew | Disease | Pale streaks, white growth beneath leaves | Treated seed, rogue affected plants, drainage |
| Charcoal rot | Disease | Lodging, shredded pith in dry, hot spells | Avoid moisture stress, balanced nutrition |
- Sow treated seed of a tolerant hybrid on time.
- Scout from emergence, especially for fall armyworm in the whorl.
- Conserve natural enemies; act at the threshold.
- Spray accurately into the whorl where needed, following the label.
Use crop-protection inputs responsibly
Read the label, use the recommended dose, wear protective gear while spraying, and strictly observe the pre-harvest (waiting) interval before picking — on crops harvested repeatedly this matters at every picking. Prefer cultural and biological methods first and spray only when monitoring shows it is needed.
Harvesting & yield
Harvest when husks are dry and the grain is hard (about 20% moisture), generally 90–110 days.
- Shell, clean and dry grain to 12–13% moisture for storage.
- Good hybrids yield 5–8 t/ha or more.
Related crops
Maize — Package of Practices
A versatile cereal for any season — give it a fertile, free-draining bed, never let it dry out at silking, and scout early for fall armyworm.
Overview
Maize is a versatile cereal grown for grain, fodder and food in the kharif, rabi and spring seasons. It is a heavy feeder and a high yielder under good management.
A strong plant stand, generous split nitrogen and unbroken moisture around tasseling and silking are the keys; fall armyworm is now the watch-pest.
Climate & season
Maize likes warm weather (about 21–30 °C) and bright sun; it is frost-sensitive.
- Grown across kharif, rabi and spring depending on region.
- Very sensitive to waterlogging.
- Moisture stress at silking severely cuts grain set.
Soil & land preparation
Best on a fertile, well-drained loam at pH 5.5–7.5.
- Prepare a fine tilth; form ridges and furrows where drainage is a concern.
- Mix in 10–12 t/ha farmyard manure.
- Avoid low, water-holding patches.
Choosing a type & seed
Choose grain, sweet or fodder hybrids to suit the market and season; hybrids give the highest, most uniform yields. No specific cultivar is named here.
Seed rate
- About 20 kg/ha for grain maize.
- Aim for 55,000–80,000 plants/ha.
- Place seed 3–5 cm deep.
Seed treatment
- Treat with a recommended fungicide (and insecticide where shoot fly or early armyworm is a risk).
- Sow good-vigour, fresh seed.
Sowing & spacing
- Sow into warm, well-drained soil at the right season.
- Keep rows 60–75 cm apart.
- Space plants 20–25 cm within the row.
- Sow 3–5 cm deep; thin to one healthy plant per hill.
- On heavy land, sow on ridges to keep roots out of standing water.
Nutrient management
Maize removes a lot of nutrients. Split the nitrogen across growth stages; many soils also respond to zinc.
| Input | Dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Farmyard manure | 10–12 t/ha | Basal |
| Nitrogen (N) split | 120–150 kg/ha | Basal · knee-high · tasseling |
| Phosphorus (P₂O₅) | 60 kg/ha | Full basal |
| Potash (K₂O) | 40 kg/ha | Basal |
| Zinc | Apply if deficient | Corrects white-bud/zinc deficiency |
Water management
Keep moisture steady; maize will not tolerate drought at flowering or standing water at the roots.
- Critical stages: knee-high, tasseling/silking and grain filling.
- Never let the crop stress at silking.
- Drain promptly after heavy rain.
Weed management
- The first 30–45 days are the critical weed-free period.
- Use a recommended pre-emergence herbicide with one intercultivation.
- Earth up around the base while weeding for support.
Plant protection
| Problem | Type | Watch for | Manage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall armyworm | Pest | Ragged whorl feeding, moist sawdust-like frass | Scout early, hand-pick egg masses, recommended insecticide into the whorl at threshold |
| Stem borer | Pest | Shot-holes in leaves, dead hearts | Destroy stubble, recommended insecticide if needed |
| Shoot fly | Pest | Dead hearts in young seedlings | Timely sowing, treated seed, good vigour |
| Turcicum leaf blight | Disease | Long greyish lesions on leaves | Resistant types, rotation, fungicide if severe |
| Downy mildew | Disease | Pale streaks, white growth beneath leaves | Treated seed, rogue affected plants, drainage |
| Charcoal rot | Disease | Lodging, shredded pith in dry, hot spells | Avoid moisture stress, balanced nutrition |
- Sow treated seed of a tolerant hybrid on time.
- Scout from emergence, especially for fall armyworm in the whorl.
- Conserve natural enemies; act at the threshold.
- Spray accurately into the whorl where needed, following the label.
Use crop-protection inputs responsibly
Read the label, use the recommended dose, wear protective gear while spraying, and strictly observe the pre-harvest (waiting) interval before picking — on crops harvested repeatedly this matters at every picking. Prefer cultural and biological methods first and spray only when monitoring shows it is needed.
Harvesting & yield
Harvest when husks are dry and the grain is hard (about 20% moisture), generally 90–110 days.
- Shell, clean and dry grain to 12–13% moisture for storage.
- Good hybrids yield 5–8 t/ha or more.