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Lecture 1 and 2 Introduction

Education Arts (Kenyatta University)

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FIELD CROP MANAGEMENT

Introduction

Why should you be concerned?

Sound crop management techniques will help to produce a healthy crop resulting in an
optimum yield and a high quality end product. A healthy crop is able to fully utilize the
available moisture and nutrients provided to it.
Crop health and soil quality are very closely linked. After harvest straw, stubble and
roots should be returned to the soil. Increasing the amount of crop residue on the land
which:
• Protects against wind and water erosion;
• Adds organic matter to the soil which helps to maintain soil structure and fertility;
increases
availability of stored moisture, promotes carbon sequestration in the soil; and
• Provides increased wildlife habitat.

Soils left bare by various cropping practices are vulnerable to erosion, increasing the
risk of pesticides, nutrients and pollutants entering and contaminating waterbodies.
Leaving residue on the field after harvest and maintaining a healthy crop canopy are
ways to help protect the soil from wind and water erosion and the resulting conditions of
soil degradation.

Sound crop management includes:

1. Rotating crops, varieties and pesticide groups
2. Encouraging rapid, vigorous seedling emergence by:
• Using certified seed;
• Using appropriate seeding rate and depths;
• Using appropriate packing methods;
• Using a seed treatment if necessary;
• Following recommendation rates for seed-placed fertilizer; and
• Spreading straw and chaff evenly over swath width.
3. Reducing pest damage with integrated pest management includes:
• Prevention
• Monitoring
• Intervention; and
• Record keeping.
4. Following a sound fertility program to ensure crops have adequate nutrients to reach
yield potential.

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Crop rotation is influenced by several physical and environmental factors which

ultimately determine the type of crops that can be grown in your geographic area. Such
factors include: soil characteristics, climatic constraints and the incidence of pests. The
rotation of different pesticide groups is an important factor when considering crop
rotation as it will help to inhibit the development of resistance on your farming operation.

What can you do?

1. Develop a plan for good crop management that includes crop and pesticide
(particularly
herbicide) rotation.
2. Use all available tools to ensure that crops emerge quickly.

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FACTORS AFFECTING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CROPS:

Factors affecting growth

The factors that affect the vegetative and reproductive growth of crop are called crop
growth factors.

A. Non-biological factors :
1. Climate factors :

(i) Light :
Plant produces carbohydrate using CO2 and water with the help of light and chlorophyll.
This process is called photosynthesis. It is expressed by the following equation.
6CO2+ 12 H2O light & chlorophyll C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H20
Only Visible light of the radiant energy spectrum having 400 to 700 nm wavelength is
used by the plant for photosynthesis. This is known as Photosyntheically Active
Radiation (PAR). Leaf holds some part of the light falling on it which is called intercepted
radiation and the rest is either reflected or passed downward through the leaf. The solar
radiation falling on the green part of the plant affects the plant growth positively i.e. The
more the fractional intercepted radiation in the green plants, the more the growth of the
plant. Thus plant growth can be expressed by the following equation.
W = Es Esc
Where, W = Dry matter
Es = Conversion efficiency or light use efficiency
Si = Intercepted radiation
Esi = Cumulative total of intercepted radiation.

Light intensity :
Very low light intensity reduces the rate of photosynthesis and may even results in the
closing of the stomata. This result in reduced vegetative growth of the plants. At very
high intensity plants become thick and dwarf. It increases the rate of respiration and
thus disturbs the photosynthesis-respiration balance. It causes rapid loss of water
resulting in the closure of stomata.

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In addition to photosynthesis, light also play role in chlorophyll formation. In the absence
of light etiolin is produced in the plant. As a result, plants become yellowish which is
called etiolation.

(ii) Temperature :
Temperature affects the plant growth directly and indirectly almost all physiological
processes of plant such as germinations photosynthesis, respiration, absorption,
osmosis, etc. are influenced by air and soil temperature. Basically, the quantitative
difference between photosynthates produced in plant by photosynthesis and the
photosynthates exhausted by respiration is the plant growth which is, in general,
measured by the dry matter accumulation in the plant.

During the day adequate sunshine and high temperature increase the rate of
photosynthesis and respiration whereas low temperature during night reduces the rate
of the two processes. Consequently such environment of sunlight and temperature is
conducive to plant growth. But assimilation process in plants take place within a certain
temperature range. Plant growth occurs within the limit of maximum and minimum
temperatures. Each plant community has its own minimum, optimum and maximum
temperature known as their cardinal temperature. Cardinal temperature varies in
different plant species (Table-1).

Table-1: Cardinal temperature of certain crops :

Crops Min. (oC) Opt. (oC) Max. (oC)

Rice 5 30 40

Wheat 4 25 30-32

Maize 8-10 32 40-44

Tobacco B-14 28 35

(iii) Precipitation:
Water is essential for plant growth, development and other physiological processes of
the plant. It is a principal element of protoplasm. Through the process of osmosis the

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hydrostatic turgor pressure of the cell increases which results in the plant growth. Thus
growth can be expressed as

Where, dt = an interval of time

dv = the change in the cell volume over this time interval
P = turgor pressure of the cell
Y = the turgor pressure that must be exceeded before the cell wall with expand
M = cell wall extensibility.

With the rise of water potential in plant, leaf expansion rate increase. Due to the lack of
water leaf is wilt and the growth is arrested. Again, at excessive Soil moisture content
abnormal growth occurs or even the plant may die. Owing to continuous increase of
water if the cell is saturated, differentiation is hampered. Experimental result shows that
plant growth is optimum at moisture content slightly below the joe condition of the soil

At optimum soil moisture level transpiration increase plant growth is positively related to
transpiration. Plant growth can be expressed as follows-
W = Ew E Et
Where,
W = Dry matter
Ew = Water use efficiency
E Et = Cumulative total evapotranspiration.

(iii) Air :
Oxygen and carbon dioxide are the most important components of the air relating to
plant growth. Carbon of the CO 2 is synthesized into carbohydrate through
photosynthesis, and again this carbohydrate is oxidized and changed into chemical
energy (ATP) through respiration. If oxidation is occurred in presence of air (O 2), then 38
ATP is produced. But in anerobic respiration only 2 ATP is produced. This kinetic energy
(ATP) helps to perform all the vital activities of plant.
Again, wind velocity helps indirectly in the growth of plant. Wind velocity enhances the
rate of transpiration by lessening the density of air around the guard cell. As a result,
plants absorb more water and minerals from the soil which accelerates plant growth.

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High wind tear the leaf and the plants are in danger of being uprooted and blown away.
Lodging of crops (wheat, Rice, Maize, Sugarcane) are caused by violent winds.

(iv) Humidity :
Oxygen and carbon directly affects plant growth by influencing the rate of transpiration.
In addition, it also influences the physiological processes of the plant by controlling
temperature. At very low humidity the pollen grain dries up. Again, at very high humidity
the pollen grains are attacked by fungi. As a consequence at both the conditions
fertilization is impaired.

2. Edaphic Factors :
Soil provides physical support to plant as well as supplies necessary water and nutrient
elements for plant growth and development. Plant growth basically depends on
physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. They are discussed below:

a. Soil physical factors :

The main soil properties influencing crop growth are soil texture, soil structure matter,
etc. Water and nutrient holding capacity of soil, soil aeration, drainage conditions, soil
compactness etc. are influenced by soil texture. A certain crop prefers a specific soil
texture. For example, through clay soil is suitable for rice growth, it does not favour the
growth of potato tuber. Potato grows well in sandy or sandy loam soil.
Soil structure directly influences crop growth by influencing soil moisture, aeration and
root growth. For example, grannular structured soil contains more macro pore and
porosity of such soil is high. such soil is ideal for seedling establishment as root
penetration and drainage of water takes place rapidly.
Soil temperature directly influences crop growth. The prevailing temperature of soil
besides affecting the physical and chemical processes going on in the soil also
influences to a very great extent the rate of absorption of water and solutes, the
germination of seeds and the rate of growth of the underground portions of the plant
body. The maximum absorption of water by the roots take place generally between 20
and 300C. Lowering of temperature below 20 0C causes an appreciable reduction in the
rate of absorption of water.

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b) Soil chemical factors :

Most important chemical factors influencing crop growth are plant nutrient elements and
soil PH. Crop growth is influenced by the supplied plant nutrient. Again, the nutrient
status of soil greatly influenced by the mineral content of the soil, derived from the
weathering of the rocks and minerals. The total amounts of elements contained in soils
depend partly on the nature of the rock from which they are formed and partly on their
age and the extent to which soluble products have been leached away. Nutrient
availability of macronutrients and Mo increases with the increase of soil P H while
microelements show an inverse relationship. Some plants prefer high acidity such as
tea, fungi etc. But most plants grow well in slightly acidic to neutral soil. However, some
plants grow well in alkaline soil e.g. sugar beet, lettuce.

c) Soil biological factors :

In relation to plant growth soil biological factors are classified into two groups : beneficial
and harmful. Fungi, bacteria, virus, nematode and so on affect plant growth directly.
Some microorganisms play important role in maintaining soil fertility.
Rhizobium bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen in the roots of legumes through symbiosis.
But many microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, nematodes and virus causes
damage to the crop at different growing stages.

3. Habitating factors :

i) Altitude and topography :

With the change of attitude plant adaptation and ecology are changed which influence
the distribution of plants in various ways. With the rise of attitude availability of solar
radiation is altered including atmospheric humidity, temperature.
Land topography influences cropping pattern. Again the fertility status of same AEZ may
differ due to topography.

ii) Latitude :
With the change of latitude air temperature, pressure, rainfall, light and humidity are

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changed. Thus affect plant growth.

iii) Slope and direction:

Slope and directions influence the local climate. If the slope is high i.e. steep, water
does not stand there. As a result, water holding capacity is limited there which affect
plant growth.

Factors affecting development of crops :

1. Temperature :
For completing each development process in plant there is a certain level or limit of
temperature in which the process of development continues. Like growth process
development processes also have cardinal temperature, they are:
i. Base or threshold temperature :
At this temperature developmental process begins. It is expressed by Tb.
ii) Optimum temperature :
Development rate is highest at this temperature. It is expressed by to.
iii) Ceiling temperature :
At this temperature development rate is minimum and beyond this temperature the
process of development is cased. It is expressed by tee.
Thermal time / Duration :
A certain temperature is required to complete the developmental process of temperature
sensitive plant. Above base temperature when the total neat energy obtained from every
day’s solar radiation equals to that certain temperature, the development process is
ended. This means that with time cumulative heat energy is increased gradually and the
developmental processes come to on end. At last it is observed that when the total heat
is reached that certain limit the process of development is complete.
The half of the difference between ceiling temperature (Tce) and base temperature (Tb)
is known as average temperature (Tce-Tb) = T. At the time of developmental process if
every base temperature is cumulated a certain heat energy is obtained. This is called

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thermal duration or time.

q=

Where,
q = thermal time / duration
n = number of days during development
T = average temperature
Tb = base temperature

2) Light :
i) Photoperiod or day length :
Development processes of most plant species are influenced by day length. Flowering
is one of the developmental processes of the plant which is affected by day length.
Plant is divided into three classes on the basis of sensitivity of flowering to photo period,
they are-

a. Photo insensitive or day neutral plant :

The plants where flowering is not dependent upon day length are called photoinsentive
or day neutral plants e.g. groundnut, tomato, etc.

b. Short day plant :

Plants which flower when the day length is less than the critical length e.g. Tobacco,
Mustard etc.

c. Long day plant :

Plants which flower when the day length is longer than critical lengths e.g. Gram, wheat
etc.
Note : The response of plants to the relative lengths, and alternations of light and dark
periods with regard to the initiation of flowering is called photoperiodism.

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3. Assimulate supply

4. Stress and genetic makeup.

“Every living organism is a product of its biological heredity and its environment”.
Explain

Every living organism (e.g. plant species) has a specific genetic make up. Complete
expression of the potentiality of the genetic make up takes place under suitable
environmental condition. If only of the environmental factors limit the growth and
development of the plant, than, if fails to express it actual potentiality. For example, yield
potentiality may not be achieved, if the crop is cultivate under stressful condition. Thus
environment can modify the genetic potentiality of crops. Again, cultivation of different
cultivar (under same environment may give different yield due to difference in their
genetic makeup.

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IDENTIFICATION OF FIELD CROPS

Identification of crop:
A plant that is grown with proper care and management for its economic value is termed
as crop.
It is very difficult to give a precise definition of crop but it has some characteristics-
i. Crop must be cultivated species.
ii. It must have economic value.
Crop is an aggregation of individual plants, grown on a particular location usually of the
same species or variety and has same economic value.

Agronomic crops or field crop:

The crops, which are grown together with less care, usually in large areas and
harvested in bulk, is termed as agronomic crops.

Horticultural crops:
Crops that is grown with intensive care.

Definition of identification:
Identification is the art or technique by which one can differentiate various objects or
organism (plants, animals) from each other considering their typical characteristics
(morphology) and functions.

Identification of Crop:
Identification of crop is an art through which unwanted plants can be separated out from
the cropped area. Crops of different species are also separated out on basis of their
morphological features.

Importance of identification of crops:

Unwanted plants in crop field often results in severe competition for space, light,
nutrients etc. and the quality of the produce is impaired. So, crops and non-crop species
should be identified for successful crop production and better yield.
Classification of crops:
Classification is an acceptable product of scientific studies and is obviously based on
well-defined characteristics or concepts that separate one group from another.
On the basis of use of crop plants and their products, crop can be classified as follows-

A. Cereal crops:
Cereals are the cultivated grasses grown for their edible starchy grains under graminae

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family.
Examples:

English Name Scientific Name Family

Rice Oryze sative Graminae

/Poaceae

Wheat Triticum aestivum ,,

Maize/corn Zea mays ,,

Barley Hordeum vulgare ,,

Sorghum Sorghum vulgare ,,

Common Millet Panicum miliaceum ,,

Pearl Millet Pennisetum typhoides ,,

Italian Setaria italica ,,

Millets: Millets are the small-grained cereals and have a single cover (due to fusion of
testa to the pericorp)
.
B. Fibre Crops:
Crops that is grown for the production of fibre.
Jute (deshi) Corchorus capsularis Tillaceae

Jute (Tosha) Corchorus olitorius ,,

Mesta/Rozelle Hibiscus sabdariffa Malvaceae

Sunhemp Crotalaria juncea Leguminosea

Kenaf Hibiscus cannabinus Malvacea

Cotton Gossypium Spp Malvacee

Gossypium herbaceum
Gossypium arboreum
Gossypium hirsutum
Gossypium barbadense

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C. Oil seed crop:

Crop that produce seeds of high fatty acids contents, used to extract vegetable oil is
termed as oil seed crop.

English S. N Family
name

Mustard Brassica SPP Crucifer

Brassica nigra (Black)
Brassica campestris(Born)
Brassica juncea (Indian)

Groundnut Arachis hypogea Leguminosea

Sesame Sesamum indicum Pedaliaceae

Linseed Linum usitatissimum Linaceae

Soybean Glycine max Leguminosea

Sunflower Helianthus annuus Compositae

Niger Guizortia abyssinica ,,

Castor Ricinus communis Euphorbiacea

Safflower Carthomus tinctorius Compositae

Elaeis guineesis Palmae

D. Pulses:
Seeds of leguminous crop plants used as food especially for the supplementation of
protein.

English Scientific Name Family

Name

lentil lens culinaris Compositae

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pea Pisum sativum Leguminosae

Munghean Vigna radiata ,,

Backgram Vigna mungo ,,

Gram Cicer arietinum ,,

Pigeon pea Cajanas cajan ,,

Cowpea Vigna unguiculata

Grass pea Lathyrus sativus ,,

E. Sugar yielding crops:

The crops, which are grown for the production of sugar, are sugar-yielding crops.
Sugarcane Saccharum officinarum Graminae
Sugarbeet Beta vulgaris Chenopodiaceae

F. Narcotic Crop:
Crop plants or other products that are used for stimulating, numbing, drowsing or
relishing effects are known as Narcotic crops.

Tobacco Nicotiana tabacum Solanaceae

Indian Cannabis sativa Urticaceae
hemp
Opium Papaver somniferum Pepaveraceae

G. Beverage crops:
The crops whose products are used as mild, agreeable and stimulating liquors meant
for drinking.
Tea Camellia sinensis Theaceae

Coffee Coffea arabica Rubiaceae

Cacao Theobroma cacao Sterculiaceae

[Link] Crops:
The crops whose products (vegetative matter either fresh or preserved) used as feed for
animal is called fodder crop.

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Maize Zea mays Graminae

Sorghum Sorghum vulgare

Bazra Pennisetum typhoides ,,

Barley Hordeum vulgare ,,

Napier Pennisetum purpureum ,,

grass

Guinea Purureum maximum ,,

grass

Brachiaria mutica ,,

Medicago sativa Leguminosea

Cowpea Vigua unguiculata Leguminosea

Lathyrus sativus ,,

Blackgram Vigna mungo ,,

I. Green manuring crop:

The crop plants that are used for incorporation into the soil, as green state to add
organic matter for improving the physical properties and fertility status of soil.
Dhaincha Sesbania aculeata Leguminosea
Sunhemp Crotalaria juncea ,,
Cowpea Vigna unguiculata ,,
Pea Pisum sativum ,,
Black Vigna mungo ,,
gram

GROWTH STAGES IN A CEREAL CROP

To successfully achieve high yields in cereal crops, agronomic practices need to be

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correct. Cereal crop production can be influenced by many factors such as irrigation
layout, growing the right crop for the right climate, soil structure, and timing of fertiliser
application, stubble retention, good rotation practices and weed control.
These factors can greatly influence the yield potential of many cereal crops including
wheat and sorghum.

Zadock Scale

To understand the growth stages of cereal crops one must become familiar with the
Zadock Scale. The Zadock Scale was developed by a Dutch scientist Jan Zadock and is
now commonly used by agronomists for crop management decisions and research
scientists for crop research. The Zadock Scale goes from 0-99. You can find Zadock
Scales on the internet and in Agronomy books. Take the time to get acquainted with
these.

Having looked at the comprehensive list and description for each stage, we will now
look at a snap shot, of the different stages. It is not essential to know exactly what each
stage is, however it is very useful to know for instance that Z14-Z21 is early tillering, or
at the Z35-Z45 stage the crop is starting to boot. This is all important because there will
be times when you will be reading a document that refers to a cereal crop by the
Zadock stage, and rather than thinking “what stage are they talking about” you can go
back to the link above or look at the table below and get an idea of what crop stage they
mean. Some herbicide and fungicide labels will specify a particular Zadock stage for
application, so having this background knowledge is important. The Zadock growth
stage applies to many cereal crops (eg. wheat, barley, oats, and triticale).

With your new knowledge of the Zadock Scale, we will break it down into the key
stages. After emergence you will refer to the crop by the number of leaves present, until
the plant develops 5 leaves. For example when inspecting a newly emerged crop you
could be looking a 2-3 leaves per plant. Some herbicides are safe to apply once the
crop has reached 2 leaves, some herbicides cannot be applied once the crop has
reached the 5 leaf stage. Once the crop has developed 5 leaves you would then refer to
the crop as early tillering. Usually during this stage if timely rainfall occurs, the
secondary roots develop.

Tillering Stage

Tillering is the stage where a stem is produced that will then go on to produce a seed
head. The number of tillers a plant produces depends on moisture and nutrition present
during this stage. A crop that is moisture stressed and suffering from nutrient
deficiencies will not produce many tillers. Likewise a plant that develops many tillers
because conditions are very conducive, but then suffers extreme drought or disease, or
deficiencies later in the crops development, can then go on to abort tillers (aborting
tillers is something we try and avoid by choosing suitable fields, managing diseases
etc). We refer to tillering as early tillering, mid tillering and late tillering. Late tiller (just
before jointing) is the cut-off point for some herbicides, where you could damage yield if
applied from then on. At the end of tillering, a node will form at the base of the first tiller

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(also called the main stem), this is called jointing.

Jointing Stage

At Jointing, just above the first node, you can cut the stem open very carefully you will
find a very tiny seed head. More nodes will develop underneath that first node, but the
first node on every tiller will have the seed head developing just above it. When the
seed head and first node are about halfway up the main stem, the main stem will start to
thicken, this is called booting and the last leaf the plant will develop emerges, this leaf is
called the flag leaf and is quite distinctive. The seed head will be about 2-4cm long but
a swelling in the main stem will indicate that the crop is now in the booting stage.

Booting Stage

The booting stage is over when the seed head emerges. In wheat the crop will then
proceed to flower and then form grain. In Barley, the seed head often flowers in the
boot protecting it from light frosts.

Grain Fill Stage

As the grain then starts to form we talk about the milk stage, where when the grain is
squeezed a milky substance is produced, then milky dough where milky dough like
substance is exuded, and then you have soft dough moving onto hard dough stage.
After the hard dough stage the crop is then drying down, in preparation for harvest. So
to very briefly summarise we have:

• 1-5 leaf stage

• early Tillering
• mid Tillering
• late Tillering
• jointing
• booting/Flag leaf emergence
• flowering
• grain fill

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CASE STUDIES

MAIZE PRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION
Good farmers are getting over 40 bags per acre by practicing good husbandry, using
hybrid seed and quality fertilizers. All farmers can achieve such yields if they follow the
following 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. Timeliness is the most important and cost
free input at the disposal of all farmers and it is the single most defining resource that
determines profitability.
1. Land preparation:
Land reduced in fertility by continuous maize growing, and land choked with grass and
other weeds will not produce a good maize crop. Plough early, give two or three
ploughing if necessary to get good clean seedbed, and remove couch - grass with fork
jembes. This may seem costly and tedious; therefore farmers are advised to practice
reduced/conservation tillage. Reduced tillage involves use of an herbicide to kill all
weeds, followed by either chiseling or one disking before planting.
2. Time for planting:
It is essential to plant early, before or at the beginning of rains. Yields are greatly
reduced by late planting. A delay of 2 weeks after the rains is sufficient to create a drop
in yields by more than 20%.

3. Choice of hybrid:
It is important to choose the correct hybrid for your altitude and rainfall conditions.
Hybrid Altitude (metres) Length Rainy Potential Yield -
season bags/ha
H 614D 1500 - 2100 5 - 7 MONTHS 94
H 625 1500 - 2100 5 - 7 MONTHS 98
H 626 1500 - 2100 5 - 7 MONTHS 102
H 627 1500 - 2100 5 - 7 MONTHS 112
H 628 1500 - 2100 5 - 7 MONTHS 118
H 622 1000 - 1800 4 -6 MONTHS 67
H 623 1000 - 1800 4 - 6 MONTHS 71
H 511 800 - 1500 4 -5 MONTHS 50
H 513 800 - 1500 4- 5 MONTHS 65
DH 01 600 - 1300 2 -3 MONTHS 38

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DH 02 600 - 1300 2 - 3 MONTHS 40

KATUMAINI 600 - 1300
COMP.
PH 1 0 - 1200 3 -5 MONTHS 58
PH 4 0 - 1200 3 - 5 MONTHS 60
COAST COMP. 0 - 1200 4 -5 MONTHS 45

4. Population & spacing:

High yields can only be obtained if the correct number of plants per acre is grown. The
recommendations for all hybrids are:-
Level of No of Plants Spacing per cm
Husbandry
and Fertility

Hectare Acre 1 Plant per hole 2 Plants per

hole
LOW 37,000 14800 90 CM X 30 CM 90 CM X 50
CM
HIGH 53,000 21200 75 CM X 25 CM 75 CM X 50
CM

5. Planting:
This is a very important stage of maize production. A farmer has only 1 chance in 12
months to do it and hence it has to be done correctly without compromise. It is
advisable that a farmer knows the correct seed size for his planting operation. These
sizes are normally shown on the seed packages.

HP( Hand Plant) denotes hand planting , and is available in 1, 2, 5 and 10kgs bags.
MF and LF (Medium Flat and Large Flat respectively), are for machine planting and are
mainly packed in 25 kg bags.

Farmers should therefore make appropriate calibration of the planters they intend to
use to ensure good seeding and optimum plant population. In high potential (rainfall)
areas and under good husbandry, good planters should give a spacing of 75cm x 25cm,
with 41 – 45 seeds for every 10 meters. It is advisable that all farmers must check this
before the planter goes into the farm.
When hand-planting, put fertilizer in the planting hole, stir with a stick to mix the
fertilizer with the soil or cover with some soil, then put the seed. Cover the seed with
loose soil, not big clods, and press down the soil.
In both hand and machine planting, the fertilizer and seed should always be separated

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by some soil since when seed comes in contact with fertilizers, it can cause poor
germination due to seed scorching. All planters are manufactured with this in mind but
some farmers and operators are tempted to tamper with the set up out. It is therefore
important to check this before planting. For hand planting, apply fertilizer (1 bottle top
full) then cover lightly with some soil before placing the seed. This may look tiresome
but the benefits are many. Remember that making mistakes during planting may render
all subsequent operations useless. Therefore get it right.
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 thin to 1 plant per hole when the maize is 6-9
inches tall, leave 2 plants at one side of a gap. This is possible only for hand planting.
For machine planting, increase the plant population by 10% then thin accordingly.

6. Planting Fertilizer:
You agricultural specialist can tell you the correct fertilizer rates for your soil. Our
general recommendation, which you can follow unless otherwise advised, are 120
Kg/Ha Double supers, 240 Kg/Ha Single supers at planting time, followed by 240 Kg.
nitrogenous fertilizer A.S.N., C.A.N, Mavuno Topderessing 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 tasseling, by weeding several times. For cost
effectveness and efficiency, it is advisable to use chemical weed control using either pre
or post emergence herbicides. Early weed control before the 5 th week is important.
8. Stalkborer and other Insect control.
Apply a suitable insecticide dust and put it down the funnel immediately after singling.
Dust again later if stalkborer 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 not save seed from hybrid maize. Hybrid maize gives yields because it is a
special freshly crossed seed. Seed kept from hybrid maize will produce crops which are
more than 20% poorer than crops grown with new hybrid seed.
(b) The seed has been treated with seed dressing against seeding diseases and pests.
The seed dressing is POISONOUS and should thus be handled with care and never be
used for food purposes.

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