Agro-Climatic Requirements, Soils, and Sowing Windows
Maize is a warm-weather C4 crop that thrives under high sunlight with temperatures between 21 and 30 degrees Celsius during vegetative growth.
Deep, well-drained fertile loamy soils with neutral pH (6.5 to 7.5) and high organic matter produce the highest cob development.
- Kharif season: Sown in June to July with the onset of monsoon rains across major maize-growing states.
- Rabi season: Sown in October to November under assured irrigation in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka, often yielding higher than kharif.
- Spring / Zaid season: Sown in February to March following potato or mustard harvests in northern plains.
- Ridge planting: Sowing on raised ridges spaced 60 cm apart with 20 cm plant spacing prevents waterlogging damage to young seedlings.
Fertilizer Schedule, Irrigation, and Harvest Indicators
Maize is a heavy nutrient feeder requiring balanced split applications of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.
Maintaining adequate soil moisture during the critical knee-high, tasseling, and silking stages is essential to prevent poor grain filling.
- Fertilizer management: Apply basal NPK with zinc sulphate at sowing, followed by split nitrogen top-dressings at knee-high and tasseling stages.
- Critical irrigation windows: Irrigate during initial germination, knee-high stage, tasseling, silking, and milk stage.
- Weed management: Apply pre-emergence Atrazine within 2 to 3 days of sowing to keep fields weed-free during early establishment.
- Harvest indicators: Harvest when cob husk leaves turn straw-yellow and dry, and the black layer forms at the grain attachment tip.
Official source
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Indian Council of Agricultural Research ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
What is the ideal planting spacing for hybrid grain maize?
The recommended spacing is 60 cm between rows and 20 cm between plants, maintaining a plant population of approximately 33,000 plants per acre.
Why is ridge sowing preferred over flat bed sowing for maize?
Ridge sowing provides excellent drainage, preventing root collar waterlogging that severely stunts young maize seedlings during heavy rains.
Which stages of maize growth are most sensitive to moisture stress?
The tasseling, silking, and early grain-filling stages are most critical; water deficit during these phases causes empty cobs and low grain weight.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
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