Abstract:
Maize is one of the most important cereals of the, world both for human and animal consumption. It occupies 6.30 million hectares with a production of 10.80 million tones. Over 85 percent of its production in the country is consumed directly as food in various forms, such as chapattis, roasted ears, popcorn etc. The maize is also used as feed for poultry and in the starch industry.
Maize can be grown on any type of soil ranging from deep clays to light sandy soils. It is however, necessary that the pH of the soil does not deviate from the range 7.5-8.5. The maize crop needs temperature ranging from 21C-27°C for. its proper growth. It is widely cultivated from the sea level up to altitude of 2500m.It needs a precipitation of about 500mm for rain fed cultivation. Maize is sown in rows 50-75cm apart and the plants in the row are spaced at 20-50cm.The maize crop sown for grain is harvested when the grains arc dry and, do not contain more than 20 percent moisture....
