Maize Digital Moisture Meter
The Maize Digital Moisture Meter helps to confirm the moisture level to be low enough to allow for packaging. The Maize Moisture Meter will confirm for fully summer dry maize can have moisture content as low as approximately 9.5 %. This again depends on the temperature & humidity conditions in that terrain.


Varieties of Maize or Corn:
Maize of different varieties are available each with different characteristics. Some of the common hybrid varieties are as below along with their characteristics:

Variety Characteristics Maturity Time Resistance To Area of Cultivation

Deccan Hybrid Thick stem with dark green, broad leaves.
Grains are light orange and bold.

105 days Downey mildew (high)
Leaf blight, rust, stalk borers

AP, Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
Hi- Starch Grains are flat and bold. They have a white dent. 95 to 110 days Downey mildew,
leaf blight, rust, stem borers

Himalayan 123 Thick stem;
Broad leaves;

Bear a single cob with tight husk;

Grains are yellow colored.

Downey mildew, leaf blight and rust. Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh
Paras Thin and long ears;
White cob; Stay green even after maturity.

95 days Stalk rot complex disease; Maydis leaf blight Punjab
In addition to the above there are other hybrid varieties like Ganga Safed2, Ganga4 and Ganga7. There are other composite varieties of maize available such as Amber, Jawahar, Vijay, Kisan, Sona, Rattan, Vikram, Shakti, etc.

Cultivation Process of Maize
Land Tilling and Ploughing
Since maize requires highly fertile and tilled soil for cultivation, the field is ploughed numerous times. This step is typically carried out during the months of April- May if the monsoons begin in June and in June-July for the late season crop which is during the months of September to October. The soil dods are broken down, stubble, weeds and volunteer plants (plants remaining from the previous harvest) are removed and burnt. The soil must be prepared into a fine tilth or powder. Post this primary ploughing, the land is harrowed and levelled properly.

Manuring
Once the ground is levelled, the organic manure like cattle manure is added, ploughed and harrowed again. 7-8 tons of manure per acre is required. Coir pith and Azospirillum can be used in lieu of cattle and farm yard manure.

Preparation
For garden cultivation of maize, the plot is prepared in the form of beds. Shallow furrows are dug at a distance of 40 to 50 cm for sowing. The beds must be suited for irrigation facilities.

In case there is an additional crop to be planted along with maize, then the spacing is made wider. The furrows are dug at a distance of 50- 60 cm in case of field cultivation.

Seed Rate of Maize
5-6 Kg of seeds are needed per acre for maize cultivation. The seeds are treated with 2 gram carbendazim for 1 Kg seeds. Once this treatment is done, the next day the seeds must be treated with Azospirillum mixed in rice gruel. Shade dry the seeds for maximum half an hour after this process.

Irrigation
Land must be irrigated a day before actual sowing so that there is enough moisture during the sowing. Once again, it must be irrigated immediately after sowing. The crop requires irrigation on the 3rd day after sowing in case there are no rains. It is advisable to irrigate the field as soon as dryness in the soil is seen. However, during the early growth stage care must be taken to avoid water stagnation in the field. After 30 days of growth, irrigation once in a week is usually sufficient.

Growth and Harvesting
Maize crop
Maize crop
Once the land and seeds are ready, the seeds are sown. The land is irrigated thoroughly a day before the plantation. Sow the seeds when the land is sufficiently moist. The seeds typically sprout within 6 days and rise well above the ground. The growth maybe slow initially, however, it picks up from the 3rd week. The young cobs can be eaten boiled or raw after 2 months. After a period of 100 days, the crop is ready for harvest. The late varieties are allowed to mature, go dead ripe and then harvested once the leaves dry out in the fields.

Harvesting is done when the outer cover of the cobs start turning from green to white. Although hand harvesting is easy to do, in case of large areas of plantation, machine harvesting is better as it save manual labor.

Pests and Diseases in Maize Cultivation
The most common disease affecting maize crop is downy mildew. Leaf spot and blight is the next major disease. Spraying half Kg of Mancozeb per acre 20 days after sowing takes care of both these diseases even in high intensity. However, in severe cases, it is advisable to remove the affected plant and destroy it completely.