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MAIZE (Zea mays)

Maize, also known as corn, is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The leafy stalk of the plant produces pollen inflorescences and separate ovuliferous inflorescences called ears that when fertilized yield kernels or seeds, which are fruits.

Maize is one of the most versatile emerging crops having wider adaptability. Globally, maize is known as queen of cereals because of its highest genetic yield potential.

  • 01

ESTIMATED YIELD PER HECTARE

4,300 kg per hectare

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  • 02

Capital Needed.

For one Acre:
● Land preparation (initial ploughing) 80,000
● Ridging (making the beds) 60,000
● Holes preparation (digging and mixing manure) 100,000
● Manure (1 canter lorry) 100,000
● Seedlings (1,100) 120,000
● Transplanting seedlings 70,000
Total ₦530,000

  • 03

Price per Hectare

₦530,000 * 2.5 = ₦1,325,000

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  • 04

Inputs Needed For Maize Cultivation In Nigeria

• 8 – 15 50KG bags of NPK
• Urea fertilizers
• seedlings

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  • 05

Pests That Affect Maize

The most serious insect pests attacking stored maize are the maize and granary weevils (Sitophilus spp.) the red and confused flour beetles (Tribolium spp.) Angoumois grain moths (Sitotraga cerealella), and the larger grain borer (Prostephanus truncates).

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  • 06

DISEASES THAT AFFECT MAIZE

• Maydis leaf blight (MLB)/ Southern Corn Leaf Blight (SCLB) Causal organism: Biopolaris maydis
• Turcicum leaf blight (TLB)/ Northern Corn Leaf Blight (NCLB)
• Curvularia leaf spot
• Banded leaf and sheath blight
• Charcoal rot
• Fusarium stalk rot
• Bacterial stalk rot
• Common rust.

  • 07

GROWTH PERIOD

It takes about 60-100 days to reach harvest. This depends your weather and the variety you use.

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  • 08

LAND PREPARATION FOR MAIZE

Under the soil and weather conditions of the experimental site, the best land preparation method identified for maize production could be double tillage of ploughing followed by harrowing or ploughing twice.

  • 09

INPUT SOURCING FOR MAIZE PRODUCTION

Make sure you purchase quality Maize varieties. They include varieties that are preferred by consumers, grow fast, give good yield, store well in soil, resistant, and are tolerant to major pests and diseases.

  • 10

SOWING AND SPACING

In order to attain better weed control and high maize performance, farmers are encouraged to plant maize at a spacing of 75cm x 25cm or at closer spacing of 50 cm x 25cm with one plant per hill.

  • 11

FERTILIZER APPLICATION

The maize plant produces high dry matter yields and therefore has a high requirement for nutrients especially nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). It is not usually necessary to apply fertilizer to supply all the crops nutrient requirements. Crops planted in paddocks that have recently been in pasture can usually extract a significant portion of their nutrient requirements from the soil. There are a number of reasons for this fact:
• Maize has a deep rooting structure (up to 1.8 m) and this allows it to utilize nutrients which have dropped below the root zone of shallow rooted pasture species.
• Cultivation of paddocks which have been in long-term pasture can result in the release of up to 300 kgN/ha from soil organic matter. Recent research has shown that high fertility dairy farm paddocks, including those with a history of dairy-shed effluent application may not require additional fertilizer. Long-term maize paddocks will normally require higher nutrient inputs. When determining crop fertilizer requirements always obtain a recent, representative soil sample. Don’t apply more fertilizer nutrients than you need. As well as being expensive, applying excess fertilizer above crop requirements can result in nutrient losses to our waterways

  • 12

WEED CONTROL IN MAIZE FARM

Planting at a spacing of 25cm x 75 cm is best to properly manage weed infestation. Weeding: Small scale farmers can use hoes or use their hands to uproot weeds. The disadvantage of using hoes is that, if not careful, the farmer might damage the roots of the maize





  • 13

HARVESTING

Maize is usually harvested at around 35% dry matter content (DM). If the DM is too high, it will be difficult to press all the air out in the bunk, and this will encourage heating. If the DM is too low, the maize is not ready for harvesting and therefore liquid losses will be huge.



  • 14

ECOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS OF MAIZE

Maize requires a temperature of 26°C – 300C, rainfall of between 75cm – 1 5ocmper annum and a well-drained sandy loamy soil of pH6-7.

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REFERENCES

https://www.veggiegrow.ng
https://www.cropscience.bayer.africa/za/en-za/resources/articles/the-growth-stages-of-a-maize-plant.html
https://www.idosi.org/mejsr/mejsr25(7)17/6.pdf
https://www.xtremereturns.com/weed-control-managing-your-maize-farm/
https://www.lely.com/farming-insights/harvesting-maize/#:~:text=Maize%20is%20usually%20harvested%20at,liquid%20losses%20will%20be%20huge.