SOIL AND CLIMATE

Soil

• Fertile, well-drained, alluvial or simply red loamy soil, free of coarse elements and full of nitrogen is ideal for maize cultivation. Maize can be grown on wide range of soils including loamy sand to clay loam while heavy clayey soil is not suitable . Soil with fine organic matter containing good water holding capacity with pH ranging from 5.5-7.5 is good for increasing yield.

Climate

• Temperature of 18-23 °C for sowing and 28 °C temperature is considered good for growth and development. Maize requires sufficient moisture in the soil since its inception.

LAND PREPARATION

Maize crop may take 6 to 7 plough to bring the soil to fine tilth. Apply 4-6 tons/acre of well decomposed cow dung across the field, also apply 10 Azospirillum packets in field. Prepared furrow and ridges with 45 cm to 50 cm spacing.

TIME OF SOWING

Corn

• Kharif – May end, with the onset of monsoon.
  
• Spring crops – Late February to March end.
  

Baby corn – all the year round, except December and January

Sweet corn – Kharif and Rabi

SEED RATE (per acre)

8-10 kg/acre

SPACING

• Kharif maize : 60 cm (row to row) x 20 cm (plant to plant)
• Sweet corn : 60 cm (row to row) x 20 cm (plant to plant)
  
• Baby corn: 60 cm (row to row) x 15-20 cm (plant to plant)
  
• Fodder corn: 30 cm (row to row) x 10 cm (plant to plant)

Sowing depth: 3-4 cm.
For sweet corn cultivation keep depth of sowing to 2.5 cm

SEED TREATMENT

To protect seeds from soil borne diseases, insect and pests; seed treatment is necessary.

• To protect seeds from downy mildew, treat the seed with Carbendazim or Thiram@ 2gm/kg of seeds. After chemical treatment, treat seed with Azospirillum@600gm+ rice gruel and shade dry seeds for 15-20 minutes. Azosprillum helps in fixing of atmospheric nitrogen in the soil.
• Imidacloprid 70WS @ 5 ml/ kg seed
• Captan @ 2.5 g/kg seed
• Carbendazim + Captan (1:1)@ 2 g/ kg seed

IRRIGATION

Apply irrigation immediately after sowing. In rainy season, if rain is satisfactory then it is not needed. Avoid water stagnation in early phase of crop and provide good drainage facility. Crop required less irrigation during early stage, wile after 20 to 30 days of sowing it requires irrigation once in a week. Seedling, knee height stage, flowering and grain feeling are the most sensitive stage for irrigation. Water stress at this stage can cause huge loss in yield. In case of water scarcity, irrigate alternate furrow.

FERTILISER MANAGEMENT

CROP PROTECTION MANAGEMENT

SHRIRAM VARIETIES

Shriram 9696, Shriram 9698, Shriram 5511, Shriram 9220, Shriram 9861, Shriram Rajkumar Gold, Shriram Bio 605