2. NAME ADIL ZIA
CLASS NO 618
SEMESTER 5TH
SUBJECT CROP PRODUCTION
DEPARTMENT AGRONOMY
PRESENTATION ON MAIZE CROP
THE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE ,AMIR MUHAMMAD
KHAN CAMPUS MARDAN
6. DESCRIPTION
English name Maize
Botanical name Zea Mays L .
Pashto name Jiwar
Punjabi name Makkai
Maize is a C4 and annual kharif crop.
Cross pollinated
Monoecious crop.
Ranks 3rd most grown crop in the world.
In Pak its ranks 4th most grown crop.
Pak ranks 16th in the production of maize.
7. HISTORY
Maize plant was unknown to the people of indo-Pak
subcontinent before it was introduced in the era of
Mughal emperors Jehangir .
It is generally agreed that maize was first bought to
our area from central America.
Some people , However are of the view that china is
the native land.
Now it is universal crop and is being cultivated in
almost every corner of the world.
It hold a unique position in American agriculture.
8. LEAF MORPHOLOGY
Leaves are broad and a single
leaf
Leaves are arranged into two
vertical rows
Long , large alternate , parallel
veins.
9. FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE PART
The ear is the female
reproductive part of the maize.
A corn plant produce many
ears but the upper most will
grow to the largest.
The ear consist of a cob , egg
that eventually develop into
kernel and silk .
10. MALE REPRODUCTIVE PART
Anther is the male
reproductive part of maize
crop.
Consist of several small
branches along with small
flowers grow.
The flower release pollen grain
which contain the male sex
cells.
11. GROWTH STAGES
A growing plant of maize passes through many growth
stages as described below.
Seedling stage :
This is the sprouting stage which comes about one week
after sowing and plants have about 2 – 4 leaves at this
stage
Grand growth stage:
This stage of the plant arrives about 35 to 45 days after
sowing.
12. GROWTH STAGES
Tessling stage:
This stage is more technically called as flowering
initiation stage. At this stage, the tassels (male flowers)
are formed at the apex of the plant after 14 to 15 leaves
have come out. Final application of nitrogenous
fertilizers is done at this stage. Fertilizer application after
this stage does not give any response.
13. Silting stage:
This stage of maize plant is also known as comb
initiation stage. At this stage the female flowers or cobs
are formed in the axis of the 13th of leaf.
Soft dough stage:
This may also be called as milky stage
. At this stage, 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 remain partially green
14. Hard dough stages:
Last stage
This is the 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.
15. NUTRITIOUS VALUE
Maize is important as a source of food, feed, and
industrial products.
Its grain is a rich source of starch 72%, vitamins A
& B 3 – 5%, proteins 10%, 4.8% oil, 5.8 % fibre,
3.0% sugar and 1.7% ash. One hundred gram of
fresh grain contains 361 calories of energy, 9.4g
protein; 4.3g fat, 74.4g carbohydrate, 1.8g fibre,
1.3g ash, 10.6 per cent water, 140mg vitamins, 9mg
calcium, 290mg, phosphorus and 2.5mg iron
16. USES
Maize has a variety of uses.
It is a source of raw material for industry, where it is
being extensively used for the preparation of corn starch,
corn oil, dextrose, corn syrup, corn flakes, cosmetics,
wax, alcohol and tanning material for leather industry.
Ethanol obtained from maize can be used as a biomass
fuel.
17. USES
Maize is used extensively as the main source of
calories in animal feeding and feed formulation
Maize is a valuable feed grain, because it is
among the highest in net energy content and
lowest in protein and fiber content.
Animals like and eat it readily.
18. PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
Soil
Seedbed preparation
Time of sowing
Sowing method and seed rate
Fertilizer application
Irrigation
Insects pest and diseases
Weeds and their control
20. SOIL FOR MAIZE
Maize can be grown on a variety of soils ranging
from sandy to clayey. Best yield are produced on
deep, medium-textured soils high in organic matter,
well drained with good water holding capacity, and
capable of providing the nutrient needed by the crop.
Poorly drained and alkaline soils are not good for
maize.
PH ranges from 6.5-7.5
22. SEEDBED PREPARATION
Goals of a good seed bed are provide condition for
germination, improve tilth, and control the weeds.
Plough the field 2-3 times and than planking, to
burry the weed and stubbles .
For maize crop deep tillage after each 3 year with
chisel plough.
For breaking the plough-pan and encourage deep
rooting.
24. SOWING TIME
For optimum production seed must be sown at the
proper time
Considerable reduction occur in yield if the crop is
sown too earlier or too late
Spring (20th - to 25th Feb)
summer (15th June to 25th July)
The optimum temperature 35-45 oC.
25. SOWING METHOD AND SEED RATE
Usually Broad casted
Line sowing
P-P = 20cm, R-R = 60-75cm
hybrid
P-P = 25 cm and R-R = 75 cm
28-30 kg seed ha-1 , 65,000-70,000 plants ha-1
26. FERTILIZER
Nitrogen should be applied in split doses and whole
before tasseling.
NPK 100 80 80 kg ha-1 for Open pollinated variety
NPK 150 90 90 kg ha-1 for hybrid
Whereas the Zn should applied as Zinc Sulphate @
20 kg ha-1
27. IRRIGATION
• Maize is drought sensitive crop and requires frequent
irrigations for successful vegetative and reproductive
growth. Drought will restrict many physiological
processes leading to reduced yields.
• 6-7 irrigation depending on soil texture and weather
condition.
28. WEEDS
• Weeds reduce maize yield by 29 – 43 per cent or even
more. Competition of weeds with maize plants is maximum
2 – 5 weeks after crop emergence.
• Common Weeds in Maize are :
• Cynodon Dactylon
• Cyperus rotundus
• Sorghum halepense
• Tribulus terrestris
• Convolvulus arvensis
35. CONTROL STRATEGIES
For the control of common Broad leaf weeds &
sedges Primextra Gold 720SC herbicide at 400 –
800 ml per acre after 1st irrigation in moist field is
effective to control these weeds. Dual Gold at 800
ml per acre is used as pre-emergence herbicide. A
hand hoeing about 25 days after sowing provides
satisfactory weed control at small scale.
41. HARVESTING TIME
Harvesting should be conducted at 20-25% grain
moisture content or when the cob husk become
dry.
For threshing the moisture content should be
15%, to protect the seed from breakage.
Maize thresher can be used for threshing.
Maize cobs should stored in jute bags (after sun-
drying for seed purpose) in cool place.
42. YIELD OF MAIZE
The maize hybrids possess capability of producing
more than 120 maunds grains per acre. The yield of
local varieties is 40 – 50 maunds per acre.
