Maize holds potential for diversification and livelihood security
2012
Das, Sain | Kumar, A. | Jat, S.L. | Parihar, C.M. | Singh, A.K. | Chikkappa, G.K. | Jat, M.L.
Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most versatile emerging crops having wider adaptability and grown in diverse seasons and ecologies for various purposes. The introduction of single cross hybrid technology in Indian maize programme since 2006 resulted into productivity enhancement of 134 kg/ha/annum in the last five years although the coverage is still less than 25%. It is known as queen of cereals because of its highest genetic yield potential and productivity among the cereal food crops. It is the only grain crop with many types like normal yellow/white grain, sweet corn, baby corn, popcorn, quality protein maize (QPM), waxy corn, high amylase corn, high oil corn, fodder maize etc. It is an important industrial raw material and more than 3000 products have been made using maize directly/indirectly and provide large opportunity for value addition. It is a solution for emerging problems of depleting water table and terminal heat stress in winter crops. It is a potential crop for crop diversification due to its many types and intensification because of its wider row spacing and erect plant type having non-tillering growth habit, which can accommodate short duration pulses, flowers, vegetables, etc as intercrops. It also provides opportunity for farm mechanization and conservation agriculture, which results into timely farm operations, reduced soil erosion, improved soil health, reduced cost of cultivation and increased farm profitability. It is a solution to water scarcity and lowering water table in the rabi rice growing areas of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and also for the low rainfall areas of upland rice in the states of West Bengal, Odisha and North Eastern states. The adoption of maize under these situations is increasing at a very fast rate due to availability of high yield potential hybrids in the country for these agro-ecologies, and is more remunerative than rice. Similarly maize is a solution for the heat stress in wheat causing significant yield reduction in the Northern India. The cultivation of spring maize after harvest of potato and sugarcane has become reality in some of the states (Punjab, Haryana, western UP, lower valley of Uttrakhand) and emerged as an alternative profitable crop replacing summer rice. The favourable temperature in the rabi season of the states like West Bengal, Odisha, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh offers a great potential for maize hybrid seed production and area under seed production is coming up very fast in these areas in recent years. The remunerative seed production in these states will cater the needs of the states as well as have potential for export to neighbouring states and countries. West Bengal became hub for the QPM hybrid seed production and exporting seed to North-Eastern states and other parts of the country.
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