Simple Tips To Grains Production In Agriculture

Crops are classified into the following groups:

1.   Cereals/Grains: Rice, Guinea corn, Millet, Maize etc.

2.   Pulses legumes: Groundnut, Cowpea, Soya beans, Centrosema etc.

3.   Root and tuber: This can either be root or stem tuber. Examples of root and tuber include: Cassava, Sweet potato while yam is a typical stem tuber

4.   Beverages: Cocoa, Coffee, Tea etc.

5.   Spices: Ginger, Onion, Garlic, Pepper e.t.c.

6.   Oil crops: Groundnut, Oil palm, Coconut, Melon, Soya beans etc.

7.   Latex Crops: Rubber, The commercial product of latex is rubber

8.   Fibre crops: Cotton, Silk, Jute, Sisal, Kenaf

9.   Vegetables: Okra, Lattice, Garden egg, Amaranths, Cabbage etc.

10.  Fruits: Citrus, Banana, Guava, Mango, Apple

 GRAINS

Maize: Zea mays

Family: Graminae

Genus: Zea

Specie – mays

Types of maize

1.   Pod corn: (Zea mays tunicate):- It is ornamental and grown in botanical garden

2.   Soft or flour corn (Zea mays amylaceas):- This produce grains of a mixed soft and hard starch which prevents shrinking at drying, it is used for flour

3.   Pop corn (Zea mays everate):- Its endosperm explodes during heating to expose a white internal surface

4.   Flint corn Zea mays indurata):- It contains endosperm layer and does not shrink at drying

5.   Dent corn (Zea mays indentata):- It is characterized by depression in the crown of the gains, it is used mainly for starch product and livestock feed.

6.   Sweet corn: (Zea mays sacharata):- It is characterized by high sugar content; it shrinks and wrinkles at drying. It is used for human consumption e.g canning, cornflakes.

7.   Waxy corn: (Zea mays certina)

COLOUR CLASSIFICATION OF MAIZE

          According to colour, maize can be classified into two:

1.   Yellow maize:

It has a significant amount of vitamin A, protein, fats and oil arising carotene content in its pigment 

2.   White maize:                           

It contains high starch deposit; it is low in food value, quality than yellow maize.

CLIMATE AND SOIL REQUIREMENT

          It requires well drained loam or silt loam with adequate organic matter:

1.   Soil PH: Between 5.0 to 8.0

2.   Rainfall:- 60cm to 12cm                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

3.   Temperature:- Between 21⁰c to 30⁰c

4.   Land Preparation:- Clear, plough, harrow and ridge

5.   Planting Date: Mid March to early April for early maize and July to mid September for late maize depending on rainfall.

In Northern part of Nigeria however, maize can only be planted once a year between May and June

6.   Seed rate: Two to three seeds per hole to be later thinned to one to two plants per hole two to three weeks after planting

7.   Spacing: 50cm by 80cm

i.             30cm by 90cm

ii.           45cm by 60cm

8.   Thinning/supplying: - Thinning and supplying should be carried out two to three weeks after planting.

9.       Weeding:  Use cutlass or hoe for weeding

i.             Use of hand to pull weeds

ii        Use of herbicides

10.                Manuring: Manure /fertilizer application depends on:

i.             Age of plant

ii.           Plant population

iii.          Soil fertility

However, maize requires adequate nutrients especially for high yield. N.P: K 15:15:15 can be applied two to three weeks after planting or two weeks before tasselling. Compost manure or farmyard could also be used.

11.    Maturity period: Maize matures between 10 – 14 weeks (2 ½ - 3 months)

12.    Harvesting: Harvesting of maize can be done by

i.             Hand

ii.           Use of combine harvest

iii.          Forage harvester for harvesting folders

13.    Signs of maturity: Cobs begin to lose chlorophyll turning from green to yellow or brown.

ii.           Hair drop and its pink colour turns to dark-brown 

14.    Storage: Shelled maize are stored in insect – free container e.g. Silo, drums e.t.c

ii.       Unshelled maize can be tied together and hanged in a dry place

15.    Yield: Yield of maize depends on varieties of maize that you plant

ii.       soil type/fertility

iii.      Plant population

iii.          Management

On the average, yield of maize could be between 800kg to 1000kg per acre

Use of maize

1.   Human consumption

2.   Livestock feed

3.   Extraction of corn oil (glucose syrup) in industries

4.   Maize could also be processed into various products for the use of man e.g. flour, cornflakes, pop-corn.

DISEASE OF MAIZE

1.   Maize rust (Fungal disease)

2.   Maize smut (Fungal disease)

3.   Leaf blight (Fungal disease)

4.   Downey mildew (Viral disease)

PESTS OF MAIZE

1.   Stem borer

2.   Army worm

3.   Weevils

4.   Rodents etc.