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.