HOW TO GROW MAIZE FROM DAY ONE TO MATURITY

-

Maize is one of the most widely consumed staple food from across the world. It can be process into varieties of things such as Pop Corn, Cornflakes etcetera and can also be processed into feed for livestock.
Maize is a monocot plant (that is, it has one seed leave), with fibrous root system and grows up to about 3 meters tall. It is highly nutritive thus contribute immensely to the diet of both man and animals.

In this article we are going to be focusing on the processes involved in the cultivation/growing of maize.
These processes are divided into three(3) operations which are:

Pre planting operation

In growing maize there are some activities you do before actually sowing the seeds. These activities are:

Ploughing:
This has to do with the mechanical manipulation of the soil with the use tractors or in some cases animals such as cows are used with a plough been attached to them. Ploughing is very important as it helps turn the soil and expose some harmful micro organisms which may affect the crops to direct sunlight.
Harrowing:
Harrowing helps to further break down the soil into smaller particles to aid easy movement of the maize root and easy absorption of soil nutrients.
Ridging:
In growing maize, ridging is mostly optional especially when it is grown commercially and as a mono-crop.
Other Point To Note:
While the above listed activities are pre-planting operations needed to ensure adequate production of maize it should be noted that they are mostly carried out in a commercial setting and I will advice you stay through to this blog because we will be updating an article on subsistence maize production soon.

Planting Operations

Just after the pre-planting operations, the next is the planting operation. This is the actual sowing of the crops using a planter which is attached to the tractor or manually with the use of man power.
In planting, 1 to 3 seeds is the ideal seed rate per hole. Maize are to be planted at about 75cm between rows and 25cm between column or ridges. Planting holes should be about 5cm deep. It is very important for you to ensure adequate planting space to avoid over crowding which may hinder crop yield.

Post Planting

Post planting operations are very essential as they ensure adequate yield. If post planting operations are ignored then it is as good as not planting at all.
The following are some of the most essential post-planting operations that you may likely carry out in your maize farm:

Thinning and Supplying:
While planting there may be some instances where more than the required seeds are unintentionally planted in a hole, this is where thinning comes in. Thinning is the removal of excess plants from a stand. It is necessary to ensure that there is avoidance of over crowding.
Supplying on the other hand is the replacement of some seeds that failed to germinate. It should be done at about 3 to 4 days after all the seeds are presume to have been germinated. Supplying is also very necessary as it ensures that the expected plant population is met.
Weeding:
It is the removal of unwanted plants (such as grasses or other crops like groundnut, wheat etcetera which are not needed in the maize farm) from the farm. It should be done at a regular interval or maybe once or twice before harvest or maybe not at all for some maize varieties which matures early.

For more on Agriculture or Agric. Related stories then do ensure that you subscribe to our newsletter by clicking on the subscribe button above or follow us on Facebook.

Comments

Post a Comment

Trending posts

How To Use Manure In Maize Farming (Beginners Guild)

-
Image
In less than six months from now the rains will come by in approximately every part of Nigeria. So I guess you are already preparing to produce your maize as usual.  maize farm While I may not know the approaches that you have been using to produce your maize, I hope you are not doing what most persons are doing out there which are: farming (growing maize) on the same piece of land year after year... without adding manure/fertilizers... And using not or less improved seeds.. Well, if you have been doing these or simply want to venture into maize production as a complete beginner then this article is certainly for you. In this guild we are going to strictly deal with the use of organic manure (specifically poultry droppings). You may also want to read through the importance of fertilizer application in maize production . How to use organic manure in your maize farm Firstly and obviously you have to clear your land. After clearing, pack your debris away  from the far...
Read more

Fertilizer Application in Maize production: Why should I?

-
Image
 Did I just heard you right? did you asked why should you apply fertilizers in your maize farm? Well, maybe that's because you haven't read through the factors that increase profitability in maize farming .  If you have, then let me walk you through the importance of fertilizer application in maize production, but before then, let me give you a quick introduction of what I experienced last year. Last year, I cultivated lands and grew maize in two different locations. In one of the plot, I applied Fertilizers and in the other I didn't. After 3 - to - 4 days, I noticed that almost every seed grew in the plot where I applied Fertilizers while in the other almost about 30% didn't grow on time. Furthermore, I noticed that there were uniformity in the growth of the maize in the plot with manure/fertilizer because there was a uniform distribution of manure/fertilizer in the entire plot, while in the other there weren't. In fact, many of the maize plants in the plot withou...
Read more

How To Grow Tomatoes At Home Or Gerden

-
Image
Are you tired of the high cost of tomatoes in your area? Or maybe tired of cooking with not so fresh tomatoes? Or....? Well, which ever way you feel I will teach you how you can actually grow tomatoes at home or in your backyard garden, so relax and read to the end. First of, you have to know that tomatoes are propagated (grown) by seeds as explained below  before transplanting them to their permanent location where they develop till fruiting and eventually die off. A tomato plant How to grow tomatoes by seeds at home Firstly, ensure that you purchase viable and high quality seeds from reliable producers or you can use seeds extracted from the fresh tomatoes you bought from the marked (note: they may not be as highly prolific as those from known producers). Now get a plastic bow and fill it with soil mixed with a moderate amount of fertilizers (preferably organic fertilizers) Thereafter, apply water on the soil to keep it wet but not water logged (full of water). Furthe...
Read more