Maize is a highly adaptable crop cultivated globally, known as the 'queen of cereals' due to its genetic yield potential, contributing significantly to grain production. The USA is the leading producer, while India has diverse cultivation practices across various states, with maize having a rich history of domestication and spread since ancient times. The document details maize's agricultural requirements, growth stages, types, and management practices necessary for optimal yield.

2. • Maize is one of the most versatile crops having wider adaptability under varied
agroclimatic conditions .
• Globally maize is known as ‘queen of cereals’ because of its highest genetic yield
potential among the cereals.
• It is cultivated on nearly 190 M ha in about 160 countries having wider diversity of
soil , climate, biodiversity and management practices that contributes 40 percent
(1000M t) in the global grain production.
• The USA is the largest producer of maize contributing to nearly 35 percent of the
total production in the world and maize is the driver of the US economy .

3. • The USA has the highest productivity which is double than the global average .its
average productivity in India is 2.45 t/ha.
• In India maize is cultivated throughout the year in all the states for various purposes
including grain , fodder , cobs , sweet corn , baby corn , pop corn, in peri-urban areas.
• Predominant maize growing states include Rajasthan , Maharashtra , Bihar, Uttar
Pradesh , and Madhya Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh ranking fifth in area has recorded
highest production(4.14 M t) and productivity in the recent past.
• Its productivity in some of the districts is more or less equal to that of the USA.

4. Origin, Distribution , Area and Production:
• Unlike many of the cereal grains such as wheat , rice , and barley that evolved and were
selected as food crops in the old world , no wild forms of maize have been found.
• Scientists can readily find intermediates , if not the actual ancestral forms of Asian
cereal grains growing wild today and can , therefore , develop models for evolution ,
domestication and cultivation of these grains .
• This is not so for maize . To date , no feral plant has been found having a reproductive
structure remotely similar to the corn ear.

5. Origin and distribution
• Cultivated maize may have originated from the pod corn indigenous to lowlands of
Southern America.
• However De Wet et al (1972) suggest that teostine like grass could be the wild
progenitor , although now extinct.
• Euchlaina Mexicana (teosinte) is the closest wild relative of maize . Archaeological
evidences suggest its cultivation 5000 years ago. Preserved pollen in New Mexico (USA)
dates much earlier to 5600 years.
• Greatest genetic diversity for maize is available in the south American continent and the
centers of origin are per se Bolivia and Equador .
• Some prefer to believe that maize originated around for maize types is believed to have
coevolved with the development and spread of native America – Indian civilisation in
the great continents.

6. • Archaeological and botanical evidence suggests that maize was domesticated and existed
by 5000 BC in central Mexico remains of cobs found in peubla state of Mexico are the
earliest dated remains.
• These cobs were from a very primitive race of maize perhaps from an intermediate
between teosinte and all extent major races these cobs are similar to teosinte cobs and
the plants were more maize like than teosinte like in that cobs were non shattering and
had either four or eight rows of grains these cops also are similar to most primitive stable
bio types or races of maize grown in western Mexico from central and southern Mexico,
maize culture spread in all directions reaching north in Chile by 2700 BC and New Mexico
by 1200 BC .

7. • Once introduced into the old world by Columbus in 1493 maize culture spread to most of
the eastern hemisphere within 100 years.
• The antiquity of maize in India is not clearly established it is generally believed that the
Portuguese introduced it to India from Europe during the early part of 16th century.
• There is no evidence for its existence on the Indian plains in pre Columbian times
• Watt (1892) indicated that the vernacular names of Hermes didn’t throw any light on the
history of maize in India the most commonly occurring name ‘Makkai’ or ‘Makka’ which
would mean for ‘Mecca’ suggest introduction from outside India.

8. Climate and soil
• Maize can be grown over a wide environmental range. it is essentially a crop of warm
countries with adequate moisture.
• Bulk of the crop is grown in warmer parts of temperate regions and in humid subtropics.
• It is mainly grown from 500 C N to 400 C S and from sea level to 4000 metres in Andes
and Mexico.
• The lowest seasonal rainfall in maize area is 200 mm .
• However, available evidence indicates that means as purely rain fed crops may be risky
in regions with mean annual rainfall of 400 mm and that even in areas receiving 600 mm
rain irrigation appears to be necessary for realising high yield it cannot withstand frost
at any stage of its growth.

9. • In India, its cultivation extends from the arid plains of Rajasthan and Gujarat to wet
hills of Assam and West Bengal receiving over 4000 mm rainfall.
• It can be successfully grown where the night temperature does not go below 15.60 C.
• The greatest intensity of maize cultivation is in the region bounded by the July
isotherms of 200 C and 200 C. In general maize in temperate regions is what sorghum is
in tropical areas.

10. Germination
• Soil temperature of 260C to 300C is optimum for both germination and seedling growth
minimum temperature for germination is 100C emergencies normally reduced below
130C and fails below 100C for uniformity of initial stand a minimum temperature of 17 to
200C is necessary.
• Maize is more resistant to drought .
• The crop can recover from early season drought medicines to freezing temperatures
except in very early stage and can recover from the effects of frost if it occurs when the
plant is less than 15 cm height.
Reproductive stage.
• Temperatures above 320C as well as frost can reduce yield, and hailstorm is most
harmful between jointing and silking stages. Soil moisture to silking during silking and
after Silking reduces green respectively by 25 ,21 and 50%.

11. Soils:
• Maize can be grown on a wide variety of soils but performs best on well drained deep
looms and silk looms. Containing adequate organic matter and available nutrients, it is
necessary that the pH of soil does not deviate from the range 7.5 -8.5. Maize plants
particularly at the seedling stage are susceptible to salinity and 90 percent relative yield
was obtained at an electrical conductivity of 1.8 dS/m.
Maize zones:
• Maize improvement project in India demarcated maize cultivated areas in the country
into four broad Jones. Himalayan Zone , Northwest plain zone, Northeast plain zone ,
peninsular zone.

12. Time of sowing
• Maize can be grown in all seasons viz; Kharif (monsoon), post monsoon, Rabi (winter) and
spring. During Rabi and spring seasons to achieve higher yield at farmer’s field assured
irrigation facilities are required.
• During Kharif season it is desirable to complete the sowing operation 12-15 days before
the onset of monsoon. However, in rainfed areas, the sowing time should be coincided
with onset of monsoon. The optimum time of sowing are given below.

13. Seed rate and plant geometry
• To achieve higher productivity and resource-use efficiencies optimum plant stand is the
key factor. The seed rate varies depending on purpose, seed size, plant type, season,
sowing methods etc. The following crop geometry and seed rate should be adopted.

14. Stages of growth:
Seedling stage
• This is the sprouting stage, which comes about one week after sowing, the plants have about 2-4
leaves at this stage.
Grand growth stage
This is knee heigh stage of plants, which arrives about 35-45 days after sowing. Plants need first top
dressing of nitrogenous fertilizers and final mechanical or manual inter cultivation because if this
operation is delayed by any day the leaves will be damaged.

15. Tasseling stage
This is more technically called as flower initiation stage at which the tassels or male flowers come
out. Final top dressing should be done at stage. 60-65 days. Fertilizer application after this stage does
not give any positive response.
Silking stage (65-70 das)
• This is also known as cob initiation stage at which the female flowers or cobs
are formed.
• These are auxiliary flowers unlike tassels that are terminal ones.
• Usually they are formed in the axis of 11th to 13th leaf where as male flowers
or tassels are formed at the apex after 14 or 15 leaves have come out.

16. Soft-dough stage
•This may also be called as milky stage (85 - 95 ) that commences after pollination and fertilization is
over.
• Grains start developing but they do not become hard. This stage may be guessed by seeing the
silks on the top of the cob which remains partially green at this stage and the covering of the cobs
also remain green.
• This is the best stage for using green cobs for table purposes
Hard- dough stage
This is maturity stage at which the leaves get dried, silks vanish or they get dried completely and
become very brittle. Harvesting should be done at this stage

17. CLASSIFICATION OF MAIZE TYPES
1. Dent corn (Zea mays var identata sturt):- This is the most common type grown in SA.
Dent formation on the top of the kernel having yellow or white colour. The depression
or dent in the corn of the seed is the result of rapid drying and shrinkage. Of the soft
starch.
2. Flint corn (Zea mays var indurate sturt):- It is widely grown and cultivated in India.
Endosperm of kernel is soft and starchy in the centre and completely enclosed by a very
hard outer layer. The kernel is rounded on the top. The colour may be white or yellow.
Grown in Europe, Asia, central America and South America. Flint corn is widely grown in
India.
3. Popcorn (Zea mays var verta sturt):- It possess exceptional qualities. Size of kernels is
small but the endosperm is hard. When they are heated, the pressure build up within
the kernel suddenly results in an explosion and the grain is turn out. Grains are used for
human consumption and is the basis of popcorn confectionery. Its cultivation is mainly
confined to new world.

18. 4. Flour corn (Zea mays var anylacea sturt):- It possess a soft endosperm. Kernels are soft
and though all coloured corns are grown but white & blue are the most common. They are
like fruit kernels in shape. Grown in USA & S. Africa.
5. Sweet corn (Zea mays var Saceharata sturt):- The sugar and starch makes the major
component of the endosperm that results in sweetish taste of the kernels before they
attain the maturity and after maturity, the kernels become wrinkled. The cobs are picked
up green for canning and table purpose. Mainly grown in North half of the USA.
6. Pod corn (Zea mays var tunicate kulesh):- Each kernel is enclosed in pod. It is a primitive
type of corn and hence of no importance.
7. Waxy corn (Zea mays var ceratina Kulesh):- The endosperm of the kernel when cut or
broken gives a waxy appearance. It produces the starch similar to tapioca starch for
making adhesive for articles.

19. VARIETIES : DHM-101, 103, Rohini, Ashwini Trishulatha
Composites : Harsha & Varun :
For pure crop --- 20-25 kg seed/ha [60 x 25 cm or 75 x 20 cm]
For fodder maize --- 40-50 kg/ha
Crop geometry of 45x20 cm is found to be optimum for most of the areas.
Method of sowing :
• It is desirable to dibble the maize seed by the side of the ridges at a distance of 1/3 from the top
of the ridge.
• Dibble seed 2-3 cm deep and should not be more than 5 cm. Ridge sowing facilitated irrigation as
well as drainage

20. Weed control
• Timely & Proper : helps in aeration by loosening soil and assures good yields.
• Grasses --- cynodon dactylon, Echinoclhloa colonum
• Sedges --- cyperus iria, eleusine indica, C.rotundus,Fimbristilis miliacea
• Brood leaved --- Celosisa argentina,Commelina bengalensi,striga. Phyllanthus Convolvulus,
Tribulus terrestris,Solanum nigrum
Maize needs two intercultivations and two handweedings.
Earthing up, Intercultivation should not be done near plants, nor deep to avoid
injury to roots.
CHEMICAL WEED CONTROL :
• The first 6-7 weeks of maize growth is the most critical period for weeds.
• Severity of weed infestation, grain yield is reduced from 15 to even 100%
• Combined use of herbicides+ inter cultivations is most effective technique

21. Pre emergence : of Simazine [Tafazine] or Atrazine [Atrafaf] at 2 kg/ha @ 2 or 3 DAS, is found to
control weeds effectively
• Later the soil should not be disturbed for 4-5 weeks herbicide.
Post emergence : of 2,4 DEE @ 1 ½ -2 kg/ha at when maize is about 20 cm ht.
WATER MANAGEMENT :
Maize is sensitive to both drought and water logging.
Maize uses water efficiently. Its water requirement is influenced by
1. growth stages
2. season
3. weather
4. Soil conditions

22. MANURES AND FERTILISERS :
• At maturity ½ of the dry matter production is accounted for starch in the grain.
• N and P% in seed is highest compared to any other tissue of maize plant.
• There is a continuous uptake of P during the growing season.
• K accumulates in all the tissues of the plant and it reaches a maximum
• Balanced and integrated nutrient magt.plays pivotal role in maize cultivation.
Nutrient uptake depends on
• Soil fertility status,
• variety,
• crop growth stage,
• plant density
• time of cultural operations

23. HARVESTING :
Hybrids of maize mature within 90-110 days.
Test for maturity is that → the husk cover turns pale brown and the grains are too hard to be
pressed in with finger nail.
The cobs may be harvested at about 20% grain moisture.
Plants may remain green when the cobs are dry and ready for harvest.
Therefore do not wait for stalks to dry up for harvesting.used as fooder.
SHELLING :
Enough time should be given for drying and shelling. plants are left in field-1/ 2 days after
harvesting. Grains dry up Remove the husk and cobs are kept in sun for 2-3 days before shelling.
The grains are separated easily from the ears if they are dried thoroughly and grain moisture is
reduced to less than 15 %. Done by beating with sticks or by shellers operated by hand or power.
Grains may be cleaned, dried thoroughly and stored at 10 to 12%moisture