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| Maize planted in the field |
Maize farming is another major farming Business in the world, yeah!
You read that right; it's a worldwide based occupation.
The fastidious growth in population as result to the growth of maize
farming as a whole because there is need for food security and thus,
the population needs a fast ready food to meet its constant demand for
food.
Maize also know as (zea mays), belongs to the grass family (Gramineae)
is widely consumed in the whole world. It's a typical corn grown in
almost every normal and naturally fertile land, it matures within 3 -
5months based on the cultivars.
Maize farming Is a lucrative agricultural business that anyone can
start with little capital, land, labour and grow it big.
Maize is eaten raw as vegetables and also processed into various
standard products; the growth of maize farming can also be traced to
its numerous benefits to life.
Maize farming as become a annual occupation for farmers though it's a
annual crop but it can be plant during two farming season in a year
with the invention of new improved breeds.
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| Maize corn |
very nutritious and beneficial, food made out of maize includes;
Cornflakes,
Flour,
Animal feed,
Beverages,
Biscuits,
Drugs and pharmaceuticals,
And many more.
Most people tends to eat maize as a starchy food in various forms,
even though it's an important source of Carbohydrates, protein,
vitamins, minerals, and it aids digestion process.
The maize itself can be boiled and eaten raw, processed into flour use
in making other foods, the chaff is also fed to the ruminant animals,
the plant can be fed to farm animals, the cob and inflorescence makes
a perfect fibre for both man and animal, in fact, the uses and
importance of maize are just too many.
Maize use to be one of the major crop that adds up the GNP in many
developed nations including USA, Europe, U.K and the rest of them.
Farmer wholly rely on this plant as their major source of profit,
animal feeds and tangible part of human diet.
Cultivating Maize is pretty easy, and its management are less delicate
unlike other farm crops, in 3- 5month the maize is ready for harvest
under normal condition and depending on the breed or cultivars you are
planting.
Another important benefit that you must know is that maize grows in a
wider range of soil type than rice, every normal fertile soil can
breed maize but the productivity level won't be the same.
With the use of hybrid and fast growing maize + mechanized farming
system the yield of maize can be speed up.
If you must invest or start your own maize farming there are some
essential steps you must put in place, here are some simple things you
should put in place to cultivate, harvest and sell your own maize this
season, the quantity will be determined by you.
MUST READ - LISTS OF LUCRATIVE AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS TO START IN 2014
1. GET A FERTILE LAND FOR FARMING
The first thing is for you to get a good fertile land for planting the
maize. Actually maize does well in almost every land but does better
in a well drained loamy soil.
Though I recommend you get a virgin land (land that has not been used
for planting before) this will increase yield of the planted maize but
is not so easy to find a virgin land so a fallow land (land where
farming as stopped for years) too can serve the purpose as it would
have regain its fertility, a forest land is also good.
Land preparation is done by clearing the land or bush with cutlass,
making ridges or heaps manually with hoe or mechanically by ploughing,
harrowing and ridging.
Planting of seeds should be done in the early morning or late evening.
2. GET QUALITY IMPROVED HYBRID MAIZE VARIETY
Another essential step that you must take towards a profitable maize
farming is getting improved and hybrid maize variety,
I recommend Yellow open Pollinated Varieties, Western Yellow 1 :
TZSR-Y- 1 (Streak Resistant)
DMR- LSRY (Downy Mildew & Streak Resistant).
Yellow Hybrids Varieties: 8425-8; 8329 - 15.
White Open Pollinated Varieties: TZPB (Farz 27); TZB (FARZ 34); TZSR-W 1:
White Hybrids : 8321- 18; 9022-19: (Striga Resistant).
Some other types of cultivars are Flint corn, Flour corn, Pop corn,
sweet corn, and pod corn.
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| Freshly harvested Maize pod |
I will share a little about Pop corn because its common it includes
White pop, Yellow composite.
Get any of the listed varieties from your state Ministry of
Agriculture, Research institutes, Government farms and the rest, make
enquiry and you will get them.
Give space of about one feet to one half feet from and between each
plant. Planting is best by March ending to the early weeks of April
extending to Early May, depending on how early the rain started and if
you are consider commercial farming you can consider irrigation for a
constant supply of water and increasing the production level.
3. APPLY FERTILIZER TO CONTROL AND DESTROY PESTS AND WEED
If you are sure that the soil is fertile you may not necessarily
applied any external chemical but I recommend you employ the service
of an expert to do this for you accurately, you can also apply enough
manure (I recommend guano) before planting as this will increase the
crop yield. For every high yield maize, you will need to apply 600kg
of 25 : 10 : 10 per hectare in two splits that is, at planting (200kg)
and 5 t0 6 weeks post-panting.
Manual weeding: should be done by the 1st week and 15days after
planting and not later than 30days or as soon as you begin to notice
the growth of weeds in your farm.
A second weeding may not be required before second application of
fertilizer, as most farmers don't apply fertilizer twice.
HERBICIDE APPLICATION Apply atrazine pre-emergence at the rate of 30kg
ai/ha on a clean seed bed.
After all these steps have been put in place,
You can wait patiently for your maize to grow up to maturity.
NOTE: There is need for proper supervision at all time and carry out
necessary steps to make your maize farming business succeed.
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| Yellow Maize |
HARVESTING: Maize can be harvested by hand, sickle, or corn picker by
combined harvester based on the farming system adopted.
Maize matures in 90 to 120days after planting. It is harvested either
green or dry. It is mostly harvested green for fresh consumption when
the silk dries and turns brown.
Maize is harvested by plucking the cobs on a small scale and by machine.
PROCESSING AND USES: Maize can be eaten either boiled or roasted or
processed into corn flour, corn flakes or used for corn meal, beer,
baking flour, and livestock feeds.
STORAGE: Dried maize cobs can be stored either in cribs, rhombus or
in a fireplace, on a small or in silos on a large scale.
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Just like every other agricultural investment the major challenges to
profitable maize farming is enough capital, this means if you want to
be profitable in your maize farming Business you need to consider
capital seriously.
Get enough funds to invest and you will be sure of
making even triple what you have invested.
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