Mas Guide On Maize Production Final

M & A’s GREENERY LTD
A GUIDE TO
MAIZE
PRODUCTION
SELECTION OF SITE FOR MAIZE PRODUCTION
• With proper soil management,
maize can be grown on a wide
range of soils of different IDEAL FOR NOT IDEAL
texture (from sandy to clay) MAIZE FOR MAIZE
and color ( grey, brown, red and

black)
• But the most preferable soil
type is deep, loamy, well
drained fertile soil
CHOICE OF SUITABLE MAIZE VARIETY
• There are 3 categories of maize varieties in
Nigeria: Traditional Open Pollinated
Varieties - OPVs, Improved OPVs and
Hybrids
• Improved OPVs are higher yielding than
traditional varieties; farmers are advised to
get improved seed from reputable seed
companies
• Hybrid varieties under good management
yield more than OPVs; however, hybrid
seed has to be bought every season
• Recycling hybrid seed reduces yield
potential Most of the Improved seeds are resistant to most
pests and diseases with uniform growth
CRITERIA FOR VARIETY SELECTION
a) Adaptability and yield potential: A farmer should select
a variety that is adaptable to the prevailing production
conditions but at the same time gives yield that
measures up to the potential of the variety
b) Resistance to Pests and Diseases: A wide range of pests
and diseases will attack the maize at the different stages
of its growth cycle; a farmer therefore, should select a
variety that can tolerate both pest s and diseases attack
c) Length of Growing Season: The length of the growing
season of varieties plays an important role, especially
when there is unpredictable variation in the amount
and distribution of rainfall; hence farmers should use
varieties that have early maturity period and drought
tolerant
COMMONLY AVAILABLE OPEN POLLINATED AND HYBRID MAIZE VARIETIES
SN VARIETY LINES DAYS TO MATURITY STRESS TOLERANCE POTENTIAL YIELD
1 Sammaz 14 (QPM) OPV 106 - 110 - 6 tons/ha

2 Sammaz 15 OPV 110 - 120 Striga (NGS) 7 tons/ha
3 MM1155 OPV 110 Striga (NGS) 6.9 tons/ha
4 MM1395 OPV 100 Drought 6.5 tons/ha
5 Sammaz 34 OPV 80 Drought 4 tons/ha
6 Sammaz 27 OPV 90 Drougt and Striga (SS) 5.5 tons/ha
7 Oba Supa 1 HYBRID 90 - 110 Striga and MSV 4 -6 tons/ha
8 Sammaz 50 HYBRID 90 - 110 Striga and Drought 9.3 tons/ha
(NGS)
9 VSL 2065 HYBRID 80-85 Drought (SS) 6 tons/ha
10 Oba Supa 6 (Pro Vitamin A) HYBRID 100 - 105 Major Pests and disease 6 – 8 tons/ha
FEATURES OF A QUALITY MAIZE SEED
• Uniformity
• High germination rate > 85%
• Well dried to 13% moisture content
• Purity 98%: Ensure all seeds are of
the same variety
• Clean: not mixed with foreign matter
like stones or dirt, or other seeds
• Not damaged, broken, shrivelled,
mouldy, or insect damaged
• Not rotten or discoloured
LAND PREPARATION
• Land preparation involves bush clearing,
removal of tree stumps, termite mounds,
and ploughing
• Maize requires warm and moist soil, well
supplied with air, fine enough to allow
rapid germination of the seeds and
proper growth of roots to absorb the
available soil nutrients
• Land preparation should begin at least
three weeks (21 days) before planting to
allow breakdown of organic matter
a) The hand hoe is the most
commonly used equipment by
small holder farmers though it is
slow and labor intensive
b) Animal traction: This involves the
use oxen to plough land, although
it is not suitable under heavy soils
and steep terrain
This method is the most
appropriate, affordable, reliable
and proven technology for small
and medium scale farmers
c) Conventional tractors
open extensive land for
commercial farming
d) Walking tractors
(power tillers) can be
used by small and
medium scale farmers
e)To control early season
weeds spray non-
selective herbicide;
Glyphosate @ 2 – 4 l/ha
2 weeks before sowing
WRONG CORRECT
ORGANIC MANURE OR COMPOST
APPLICATION
• Maize is a heavy feeder for plant
nutrients, therefore, there is the
need for addition of organic
manure during land preparation
• It is best to apply the manure just
before land preparation for ease
of mixing and incorporation into
the soil
• Cured manures like compost may
be applied at planting due to high
amount of available plant nutrient
SOWING OF MAIZE
• Sowing should be done on the onset of rains
• Farmers should avoid late planting since it leads to
increased incidences of pest and disease attacks
hence reduced yields
Maize should be sown as soon as rains are established
• The seed rate is 17 –20kg/ha (one seed per hole)
• Spacing is 25cm between stands
• Thin to 1 plant per stand at 2 WAS where you
observe more than one plant
• Gap filling at 2 WAS
• Apply a pre-emergence herbicide immediately after
sowing, not later than 2 days after sowing. Attrazine
based herbicide is recommended at 3 – 4L per ha.
FERTILIZER APPLICATION
• Blanket recommendation of 120:60:60 (120kg N, 60kg P2O5, 60kg

K2O)
✓1st application of N with P and K using NPK applied at sowing

✓2nd application of N using Urea applied at Knee high or 4- 5 WAS and earthen
up.
USING NPK, DAP AND UREA. (1st application and 2nd application)
8 BAGS 2 BAGS
4 BAGS
3 BAGS DAP
UREA
8 BAGS NPK 3 BAGS

15:15:15 UREA
FERTILIZER APPLICATION METHODS
CORRECT
• Always burry fertilizer at some
distance from the seed, under
high temperature fertilizers will
affect germination of the seed
WEED MANAGEMENT
• Weeds reduce yield by competing with the maize crop for minerals,
light and moisture especially during the early stages of crop growth
• Some weeds are alternative hosts of pests and diseases
• Some weeds are parasitic and poisonous to maize e.g. Striga weeds
• A thick growth of weeds in maize makes harvesting difficult
• The period between emergence and
tasseling (6 – 8 WAS) is the most
critical period for weed
competition in maize
• Keep maize farm free of weeds at
this period
• Earthen up at knee high after top
dressing with urea. It is another
form of weed management.
Striga Control
• Control of Striga infestations is difficult because so
much of the plant's life cycle is underground
• Also the long dormancy period of seeds makes
total eradication very difficult
• Commonly used methods include:
✓Hand weeding and roguing
✓Seed cleaning
✓Chemical control
✓Intercropping with “trap” crops (plants that
trigger Striga germination but Striga can’t infect them,
so the seedlings die e.g. Soybean
✓Suicidal germination - where ethylene is pumped into
the soil before crop sowing to induce the germination of
the Striga seeds in the absence of the host
✓Use of resistant crop varieties
INSECT PESTS MANAGEMENT
• Insecticides can be applied to the crop at early
larval stages if infestation levels are high
especially for fall army worm
• However, application of insecticides is
ineffective once larvae are mature as most
crop damage has been completed
• Insecticide application is most effective in the
early evening or under overcast conditions
when larvae are feeding and therefore
exposed
• Insecticides can be selectively applied to field
margins to create a barrier to migrating larvae
Physical Control of Army worm
• Inspect the field frequently for presence of eggs, and young larvae
• Remove all crop residues right after harvesting
• Timely sowing
• Deep plough the soils to bury the larvae and pupae
• At larval stage, inspections should include the soil around plants and
under crop debris where larvae hide during the day
• High bird presence in the field may reflect heavy armyworm
infestation
• Monitoring is particularly important following herbicide application as
larvae are then forced to infest maize plants
• Field edges should be monitored for migrating masses of larvae
• Control should commence when most of the plants have one larva or
25 to 30% of the plants have two or more larvae
• Plough a deep ditch with steep edges or filled with water or
insecticide can form a physical barrier to migrating larvae
Chemical Control of Army Worm
• Insecticides can be applied to the crop at early larval stages if
infestation levels are high
• However, application of insecticides is ineffective once larvae are
mature as most crop damage has been completed
• Insecticide application is most effective in the early evening or under
overcast conditions when larvae are feeding and therefore exposed
• Insecticides can be selectively applied to field margins to create a
barrier to migrating larvae
Maize Grain Weevil
• Infest stored grain or maize ears before harvest
• The larvae develop into pupae inside the kernel
• Signs
✓ Removal of husks in the field will reveal weevils and
the irregular punctures they make in kernels during
feeding or egg laying
✓ In kernels dislodged from the cob, one can readily
observe thread-like galleries made by the legless,
stout, whitish grubs as they feed inside the kernels
Control
• Farm sanitation
• Insecticide / storage fumigants
• Good storage
DISEASE MANAGEMENT
Maize Rust: Ear Rot:

Practice crop rotation Reduce the infestation of stem borers and the fall army worm
Spray with copper-based fungicides
Maize Smut: Maize Streak Virus:

Uproot and burn infected crops Uproot and destroy infected plants
Plant resistant varieties Use resistant varieties
Aflatoxin
• Aflatoxin contamination of maize grain have two major
effects
• Firstly, eating contaminated food has several harmful health
effects and
• Secondly, aflatoxin contamination affects the quality of the grain
which leads to reduced markets for contaminated grains
• Pre-harvest contamination in maize mostly occurs when
there is a damage due to pest attack
• Attack also occur during harvest mostly because of drying
cobs on bare ground, allowing easy pick up of the fungus
from the soil to storage facilities
• Storage of poorly dried cobs exposes them to excessive
moisture and humidity and these are preconditions that
support fungal infection
Control of Aflatoxin Contamination
• Using appropriate insect management techniques will reduce
formation of holes and damage to the cobs which, in turn, will
reduce the entry points for the fungus
• A single application of Aflasafe two to three weeks before maize
flowering (30 DAS) can prevent aflatoxin contamination throughout,
even when grains are stored
• After harvesting, cobs should not be left to dry in the field on bare
soil, where they can easily pick up soil-borne fungus
• It is advised that cobs should be dried on polyethylene sheets laid
on the ground
• Damaged cobs should not be mixed with healthy ones to reduce
spread of spores and subsequent infection
• Maize cobs should not be heaped in stores but rather packed in a
clean, sealed container to avoid exposure to excessive moisture and
humidity.
HARVESTING
•Maize is harvested at different
physiological stages depending on the
intended use
•When it is for fresh eating, it is
harvested when the cob is green and the
grains are beginning to harden
•When it is meant for grain, it is
harvested when it has dried and
achieved full physiological maturity
QUALITY CONTROL MEASURES DURING
HARVESTING
• Harvest grains when they are
physiologically matured
• Harvest on time
• Use clean containers/bags to collect
the cobs during harvesting
• Collect the cobs in the farm on a
tarpaulin or mat
DRYING OF MAIZE
METHODS OF SHELLING
• Manual Sheller: It is carried out using hand and peddle operated sheller
• For the machine to perform optimally, the maize should be dry (13-14% MC)
• It is a low capacity tool used by the farmers that have very low volumes
• Motorized Maize Shellers: They are powered by electrical mortars
• They are stationed or mobile, imported or fabricated within the country
• They can shell between 800kg – 3000kg per hour
• The mobile maize shellers have been designed to ease issues of accessibility
METHODS OF CHECKING MOISTURE
CONTENT FOR PROPER STORAGE
•Pushing the hand into grain bulk: wet grain offers more Salt method:
resistance to penetration than dry grain •Take a small sample of the maize grain mixed with dry salt,
•In addition, grain with high moisture content has high put it a clean dry jar, shake it vigorously for several minutes
temperatures in the middle due to high metabolic rate while and allow it to settle
grain with optimum moisture content is cold in the middle •If salt becomes wet and sticks on the wall of the jar, then the
•Biting with teeth: dry maize grain is hard and cracks when you grain has high moisture content above 15% and therefore it
bite with teeth, while grain with high moisture content is soft, needs to be dried further
the teeth penetrates when you try to bite
STORAGE
•Various storage technologies (traditional and modern) can be used by
smallholder farmers to store maize grain and these include; mud
house, jute bags, warehouse, etc
•Traditional technologies cannot keep grain over a long period of time
•The type of storage facility will depend on construction materials
available in the locality, the expertise in construction, available financial
resources, the quantity of maize to be stored, the desired storage
period and general weather conditions
•Where big volumes of produce are required to be stored, a grain
store/bulking centre/warehouse is used, and good storage
management practices are required to ensure grain quality
STORAGE
GOOD STORAGE PRACTICES
It is important to inspect the internal and external areas of the store:
• Regularly check the store for signs of water leakage, the floor for cracks and crevices, for signs of damage on
bags (rodent or insect) spillage of grain on the floor, presence of live insects and signs of contamination
• Always inspect the surrounding environment to ensure hygiene
• Carry out quality control checks on a regular schedule
• Fumigate to control infestation of storage insects
• Use a licensed professional fumigator
• Ensure FIFO (first in first out) rule when handling stock in storage

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M & A’s GREENERY LTD

and color ( grey, brown, red and

1 Sammaz 14 (QPM) OPV 106 - 110 - 6 tons/ha

• Blanket recommendation of 120:60:60 (120kg N, 60kg P2O5, 60kg

✓1st application of N with P and K using NPK applied at sowing

8 BAGS NPK 3 BAGS

Maize Rust: Ear Rot:

Maize Smut: Maize Streak Virus:

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