STEEMIT AGRICULTURE; Crop Production #11

Hello Steem blockchain, welcome to my blog. we will continue here with our crop production series after the ulog edition. You can check my previous post in my blog.
Our focus here is on maize production.

MAIZE PRODUCTION

Site Selection

Select a well drained fertile Sandy loam soil that is rich in organic matter but avoid water logging condition.

Field Measurement

Field measurement is very important because its accuracy guidesfarmers to know their farmsizesfor vital decision on farm operations including the right amount of inputs needed and the anticipated yields from the farms. The use of (Geographical positioning System, GPS) hands receiver has simplified the rigor of land measurement. Land area can be easily measured using GPS receiver while transecting the perimeter of the land. For field measurement using GPS, refer to GPS manual

Land Preparation

where vegetation cover is fairly dense, land clearing should be carried out well ahead of the rains. Make ridges as soon as the rains start. Although the crop benefits from the deep cultivation, maize yields are not reduced when zero tillage is adopted. Make ridges at 75cm apart. Because the soils in the savannas are loose, animal drawn implements can be used for preparing ridges or by had hoe and tractor mounted tillage equipment.

Variety and seed selection

Request for information on sources of improved seed varieties suitable to your location from Research Institute. About 20kg of maize seed is recommended to plant one hectare.
Planting dates, time and methods
Plant as soon as the rains are established, preferably immediately after a good rain. The establishment of the rains varies according to the different ecological zones and from one year to another. However, optimum planting date in the major ecological zones usually lies within the following ranges:
i. Sudan Savanna: third weeks of June to early July
ii. Northern Guinea Savanna: Last week in May 1stto 2 nd week in June
iii. Southern Guinea Savanna: Mid-May to second week in June
iv. Forest Zone: Late February March for the first season and late July-August for the second season. Plant extra or early maturing varieties by late July and early August in order to allow maturity time to coincide with on-set of dry season.

Soil Management

It is important to return crop residues of the previous year into the soil where maize is to be planted. This will help in soil improvement organic matter and provide good aeration for the soil. It is also important to grow maize in rotation with legume crops to provide natural soil enrichment.

Integrated soil fertility management

The fertilizer nutrients recommended for maize is 100kg N, 50kg of single super phosphate (SUPA) and 50kg K2O per hectare in the Sudan ecology and 120kg N, 60kg P, and 60kg of k in theGuinea Savanna. The recommended N-fertilizer rate should be applied in two split applications. First dose is applied at planting or within the first week of planting (that is 50:50:50) using about 6 bags of NPK 15-15-15 while the 2nd dose of 50kg N (about two bags of urea) should be applied between 4 and 5 weeks after planting in the Southern and Guineas Savannah zones but between 3 and 4 weeks after planting in the Sudan to extra early maize varieties. Al fertilizer should be buried during application. Weed the maize farm again before the application of the second fertilizer dose.

Images were taken on my garden experimental maize plot.
To becontinued, thank you.