Maize

Scientific Name
Zea mays
pH
6.0-7.5
Temperature
15-350 C
Rainfall
510-1648 mm
Humidity
60-70%
Altitude
Terai-2900 m asl
Sowing Time
Summer, Winter and Spring Maize sown as per season respectively.
Seed Rate
22-25 kg per ha(for 85% Purity% and 85% Germination %)
Fertilizer Application
100:60:40 NPK N in split doses ½ as basal and remaining 1/4th and 1/4th at 25 DAS and 45-50 DAS
fertiliser requirement may vary as per season in which maize is grown.
Weeds
· Blackjack (Bidens pilosa) · Love grass (Setaria spp) · Wandering Jew (Commelina benghalensis) · Star grass (Cynodon spp) · Witch weed/ Striga (Striga asiatica) · Couch grass (Digitaria spp) · Mexican marigold (Tagetes minuta) · Wild oats (Avena spp) · Cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium) · Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) · Thorn apple (Datura stramonium) · Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) · Pig weed (Amaranthus spp) · Purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) · Oxalis (Oxalis spp) · Guinea fowl grass (Rottboellia cochinchinensis)
Weeding
25-30 and 45-40 DAS
Weed Management
Tolkan 1 kg or 2,4-D 0.5 kg in 500 litres of water for land of 1 ha.
Taifazine 2-3kg per 1000 litres for 1 ha or Lasso @4 l per 100 l of water for 1 ha of land
Irrigation
Knee high stage and during tasseling and cob formation stage.
Earthing up and Hoeing
25-30 DAT and 45-50 DAT
Harvesting Index
After fully ripen, maize at bottom of cob have black spot indicating its readiness for harvesting, grains with 50-55% moisture. The cob surrounding leaf become dried and leaves of plant dried ripe
Harvesting
By machine or manual breaking of cob from plant when 30-35% moisture in grains.
Post Harvest Activities
The cob harvested is dried in the sun and grains separated from cob manially and again drying grains in the sun till the moisture% reaches near 12.
Marketing
Grains are seperated from the cob and marketed in different forms. Marketing of Baby corn has recently been popular.
Insect
White grubs, Maize stem borer
Ripcord 100g/l EC and Tamaron SL or 600 Furadan 3G for Stem borer
Malathion E.C. 2 (Malamar)
Carbaryl 50 WP 2 (Hexavin)or biocontrol by Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana
Disease
Northern corn late blight, Smuts, Aschochyta leaf spot
Use of resistant varieties and Fungicide application at V5 and R1 stage of corn.
Varieties

Rampur Hybrid-2,4,6( Terai and Inner Terai during winter)

Arun-3,4,6(Terai, Mid Hills in different seasons)

Khumal Hybrid-2(In Mid Hills during rainy season  and in Terai during winter)

Manakamana-3,5,6 (Mid Hills)

Poshilo Makai(East to West)

Shitala( <1600m asl)

Deuti(Mid Hills)

Gaurab Hybrid Maize(Terai, inner terai and valleys)

Ganesh-1(High hills)