By Iyorkaa Nater

Site Selection

Select a well drained loamy soil for maize production

Land preparation

For high grain yield, maize should be sown in well prepared ridges 75 cm apart. This can be done using animal-drawn implements can be used for preparing ridges, or these can be made by hand, hoe, or tractor mounted tillage equipment

Planting date

Planting should be done as soon as the rains are established and preferably immediately after a good rain. The establishment of rains varies according to the different ecological zones and from one year to another. However, optimal planting dates in the major ecological zones in northern Nigeria usually lie within the following ranges:

• Sudan savanna: first – second week of July.
• Northern Guinea savanna: last week in June to the first week in July.
• Southern Guinea savanna: mid-May to the second week in June.

However, where early and extra-early maturing varieties are not to be eaten green, planting may be adjusted in the southern parts of the State to mid-July to allow maturity to coincide with the onset of the dry season.

Maize varieties

Maize hybrids recommended for northern Nigeria

Open-pollinated maize varieties (OPV) recommended for northern Nigeria

Spacing and planting

The plant spacing recommended for maize in the Nigerian savannas is 75 × 50 cm, where 2 plants per stand are adopted

Seed rate

About 15–20 kg of maize seeds is required to plant a hectare, which is about 2½ acres. Plant 3 seeds per hole and later thin the stand to 2 plants at about 1–2 weeks after germination

Fertilizer application for OPVs

The recommended fertilizer rate should be applied in two split applications. The first dose (that is 50:50:50) should be applied at planting or within the first week of planting using about 6 bags of NPK 15-15-15.

The second dose of N (50 kg, about 2 bags of urea) should be applied between 4 and 5 weeks after planting in the Southern and Northern Guinea savanna zones, but between 3 and 4 weeks after planting for extra-early varieties in the Sudan savanna

Fertilizer application for Hybrids

The recommended fertilizer rate should be applied in three split applications.

The first dose should be applied at planting or within the first week of planting using about 8 bags of NPK 15-15-15.

The second dose of N (50 kg, about 2 bags of urea) should be applied between 4 and 5 weeks after planting

The third dose of N (50 kg, about 2 bags of urea) should be applied between 7 weeks after planting

All fertilizers should be buried during application. Ensure that the second weeding has been conducted before the second fertilizer dose is applied.

Note that delay in the application of the first dose of fertilizer beyond week 1 after planting will drastically reduce the grain yield of early and extra-early varieties. Also, the second dose should not be delayed beyond 4 weeks after planting. Fertilizer should be applied in small quantities of 2 coca cola caps filled with NPK 1 week after planting.

One coca cola cap filled with urea should be applied at 4 weeks after planting. The fertilizer should be poured into a hole made with a stick at a distance of about 5–8 cm away from the maize plant and below the soil surface. Do not leave applied fertilizers exposed on the soil surface. Always cover applied fertilizer with soil.

Weed control

Manual weed control: Two manual weeding is recommended to be conducted at 2 weeks and 4–5 weeks after planting. In areas where Imperata cylindrica is a problem, weeding may start as early as 2 or 3 weeks after planting and more than 2 manual weeding may be required.

Chemical weed control: The increasing problem of lack of appropriate labor has increased the adoption of chemical weed control. The herbicide recommendation provided in Table below is for both large scale and peasant farmers.

Chemical weed control in maize

Fall Armyworm (FAW) control

In Nigeria some insecticides are in the market that can control FAW if applied in the first 3 weeks after planting. For example, the chemical called Ampligo or Emacot should be applied once per week for 3 weeks after planting maize. For effective control, use 1 satchet in 20-L knapsack sprayer.

Harvesting

When maize is to be consumed fresh, harvesting should be conducted when the silk has turned brown (50–70 days after planting). But when grain is needed, harvest as soon as the grain is dry enough (80– 110 days after planting) depending on the variety.