Maize (Zea mays) is the third most important cereal crop after wheat and rice. It originated in Central America and Mexico. There are different varieties of maize including flint corn, dent corn, sweet corn and popcorn. Production of hybrid maize seeds involves maintaining parental lines, producing single crosses between parental lines, and producing commercial hybrids by crossing single crosses. Seed production requires isolation distances between fields and roguing to maintain purity of the seeds.

3. • 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

4. POPCORN

5. 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”

6. Zea mays indurata
(FLINT CORN)

7. Zea mays indendata
(DENT CORN)

8. Zea mays saccharata
(SWEET CORN)

9. Zea mays everta
(POP CORN)

10. •Zea mays ceratina
(WAXY CORN)
•Zea mays amylacea
(SOFT CORN)
•Zea mays tunicata
(POD CORN)

11. • 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. VARIETIES
HYBRIDS
Ganga 11
Deccan 103
Ganga 2
Deccan double hybrid
High starch
Deccan 101
Ganga safed 2
Vivek 9
Pusa hybrid 1
Pusa hybrid 2
COMPOSITES
Prabhat 3
Navjot
Pusa comp2
Panchganga
Kiran
Amar
FODDER
VARIETIES
African tall
BABY CORN
VARIETIES
Golden baby, VL 42
Madhuri

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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. PLANT PROTECTION MEASURES ADOPTED
INSECT CONTROL
STEM BORER&
PINK BORER
Quinalphos 25
EC @
2 lit/ha
HAIRY
CATTERPILLARS,
ARMY
WORMS,HOPPE
RS
10%
BHC dust
SHOOT FLY
Quinalphos 25
EC @
2 lit/ha
DISEASE CONTROL
SEEDLING BLIGHT
&
LEAF BLIGHT
Seed treatment
with
bavistin@3g/kg of
seed
DOWNY MILDEW
Spray dithane M
45@1.5kg/500 lit
water
BACTERIAL
STALK ROT
Apply bleaching
powder 2.5 kg in
800 lit water/ha
PYTHIYUM STALK
ROT
Provide proper
drainage&balance
d nutrition,spray
thiram or captan
2.5 kg/1000 e

20. 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

21. There are 3 steps:
 Maintenance of parental lines (inbred lines)
 production of single cross
Production of commercial hybrid

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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

38. 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