Page 57 - Introduction to Agriculture by: Aqleem Abbas
P. 57

Introduction to Agriculture         Notes prepared by: Aqleem Abbas


               30 kg per hectare seed gives us 6000 to 70000 plants per hectare. Similarly plant to plant distance is 20
               cm and row to row distance is 70 to 75 cm for grain maize and maintained via thinning.

               Method of sowing

               Maize is dual purpose crop either it is grown for grain or fodder. If it is used for grain we can use two
               methods

               Plain bed or line

               Ridges

               If we use for fodder, we use only plain bed method (broadcast)


               Weeding

               Three to four times weeding is essential for higher products. Weeds can be controlled or either chemically
               or mechanically (seeding)


               Hand hoeing
               Weeds must be controlled before tassel formation. Weeds are higher in summer crops than winter crops
               due to favorable conditions. Thus must be controlled for improved productivity.

               Irrigation

               Maize is very responsive to water stress. Six to seven irrigation at ten to fifteen days interval. Most
               critical stages of water supply.

               Tassel formation

               Silking


               Cob-development

               Forty percent yield reduction occurs if water stress is imposed at tassel formation stage.

               Harvesting

               Crops are harvested when

                                 1.  Leaves turn out dry.
                                 2.  Silk becomes brown or dark
                                 3.  Stalk of plant turn yellow
                                     Moisture content at harvesting stage is twenty percent. Kept in plot, when
                                     moisture reduce to 12 to15 percent, than cobs are removed and threshed after de
                                     husking of  cob.
                                     Cobs……….ear plus leaves.
                                     Ear…………grain portion without leaves.
                                     Storage
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