Rehoboth

  Maize requires very fertile , well drained loamy soils having pH range of 5.5 to 8.0 . The crop grows best on alluvial or red soils but can also by grown on well drained black soils . It does not thrive well on heavy soils, saline and alkali soils. After preparing a fine seed bed the crop must be sown in lines ( 20-30 cm apart) by using seed drill or maize planter or by kera on para method. Sowing time varies from place to place. Maize has bold seed size. It requires 50-60 kg seeds depending upon size . Seed should be sown in lines spaced at 30 cm . For summer sowing in irrigated areas, last week of February to last week of March-April is the appropriate time. Rainy season crop is sown with the beginning of rains in June-­July . Rabi crop is sown in October-November particularly in eastern and southern parts of the country. In hills sowing is taken up in May .

  Maize is an important kharif fodder crop which gives highly succulent and nutritional ly rich fodder. Maize grain is also an important feed component of dairy cattle and poultry feed . Maize is a rich source of starch , protein and edible oil. Maize produces good quality herbaceous fodder with high palatability . Hence by providing sufficient quantities of fodder instead of costly concentrates and feeds to the milch animals, the cost of milk production can considerably be reduced. Optimal growth conditions are 18-21°C average day-temperatures , annual rainfalls of more than 750 mm , and deep, well-drained rich soils. However, maize withstand s annual rainfalls ranging from 230 to 4100 mm , a pH between 4.3 and 8.7 , and a great variety of soils. Frost kills the plants. Drought is detrimental at flowering as it affects pollination and impairs yields. Maize has no tolerance to flooding .