Promoting Maize for Human Consumption

Good farmers are getting over 40 bags per acre by practicing good husbandry, using hybrid seed and fertilizers. You can do this also if you follow these recommendations carefully. This hybrid maize is specially bred to give higher yields than ordinary maize, but money spent on hybrid seed, and fertilizers will be wasted unless you grow the maize properly.

1. LAND PREPARATION:

Land reduced in fertility by continuous maize growing, and land choked with grass and other weeds will not produces good maize crops. Plough early, give two or three ploughing if necessary to get good clean seedbed, and remove couch - grass with folk jembes.

2. TIME FOR PLANTING:

It is essential to plant early, at the beginning of the rains. Yields are greatly reduced by late planting.

3. CHOICE OF HYBRID:

It is important to choose the correct hybrid for your altitude and rainfall conditions.

HYBRID	ALTITUDE (METRES)	LENGTH RAINY SEASON	POTENTIAL AVERAGE YIELD - BAGS/HA
H 614D H 625 H 626 H 627 H 628	1500 - 2100 1500 - 2100 1500 - 2100 1500 - 2100 1500 - 2100	5 - 7 MONTHS 5 - 7 MONTHS 5 - 7 MONTHS 5 - 7 MONTHS 5 - 7 MONTHS	94 98 102 112 118
H 622 H 623	1000 - 1800 1000 - 1800	4 -6 MONTHS 4 - 6 MONTHS	67 71
H 511 H 513	800 - 1500 800 - 1500	4 -5 MONTHS 4- 5 MONTHS	50 65
DH 01 DH 02 KATUMAINI COMP.	600 - 1300 600 - 1300 600 - 1300	2 -3 MONTHS 2 - 3 MONTHS	38 40
PH 1 PH 4 COAST COMP.	0 - 1200 0 - 1200 0 - 1200	3 -5 MONTHS 3 - 5 MONTHS 4 -5 MONTHS	58 60 45

4. POPULATION & SPACING:

High yields can only be obtained if the correct number of plants per acre are grown. The recommendation for all hybrids are:-

LEVEL OF HUSBANDRY AND FERTILITY	PLANTS PER HECTARE	SPACING PER CM.
		2 Plants per hole	2 Plants per hole
LOW HIGH	37,000 53,000	90 CM X 30 CM 75 CM X 25 CM	90 CM X 50 CM 75 CM X 50 CM

5. PLANTING:

You should always plant extra seed to allow for losses due to insect pests, ground squirrels, erratic rainfall at planting etc. You can plant either 2 seeds per hole or 1 and 2 seeds alternately per hole, and then single to 1 plant per hole when the maize is 6-9 inches tall, leave 2 plants at one side of a gap.

The seed should not be planted directly in contact with fertilizers, as this can cause poor germination due to seed scorching. When hand-planting, put fertilizer in the hole, stir with a stick to mix the fertilizer with the soil, then put the seed. Cover the seed with loose soil, not big clods, then press down the soil.

6. PLANTING:

You own District Agricultural Officer can tell you the correct fertilizer rates for your soil. Our general recommendation, which you can follow unless your D.A.O. advises otherwise, are 120 Kgs. double supers (or 240 Kgs. single supers) at planting time, followed by 240 Kgs. nitrogenous fertilizer A.S.N., C.A.N, or Sulphate or Ammonia) at knee-height, per hectare. Apply the nitrogen between rows, not over the leaves.

7. WEEDING:

Keep the maize clean weeded until it flowers, by weeding several times. Early weeding is important.

8. STALK BORER:

Apply a suitable insecticide dust and put it done the funnel immediately after singling. Dust again later if stalk borer damage is seen.

9. STORAGE TREATMENT AGAINST WEEVILS:

Dress your cobs before putting them in the store with the recommended insecticide.

10. WARNING:

(a) Do save seed from this hybrid maize. Hybrid maize gives yields because it is special freshly crossed seed. Seed kept from hybrid maize will produce crops which are about 20% poorer than crops grown with new seed.

(b) The seed has been treated with seed dressing against seeding diseases and pests. The seed dressing is POISONOUS.