Production Technology of Hybrid Maize

Dr. M. Amiruzzaman
Introduction The name maize (Zea mays L.) is derived from an Arawak-carib word, 'mahiz'. It is also known as 'Indian corn', and in America simply as 'Corn'. It is an annual crop and most important cereal in the world after wheat and rice. Columbus encountered maize on his first voyage in 1492, and subsequent explorers found maize being grown by the Indians throughout the Western Hemisphere. Within a comparatively short time of the discovery of America, maize had spread widely throughout the world, and became an important source of carbohydrate food for the poorer classes in many tropical, sub-tropical and warm temperate countries. Maize is consumed either directly or indirectly by millions of people. About 75% of the maize is fed to animal; thus, indirect consumption is greater than direct consumption. Maize is produced primarily as an energy crop, but specialized versions for protein, oil, waxy, sweet corn, baby corn and pop corn are available. In Bangladesh, maize can be grown round the year. In kharif cultivation, farmers face various problems such as waterlogging, high infestation of disease-pests etc. Due to this reason, it is now extensively being grown in rabi season under irrigated condition. However, kharif cultivation is also possible in some suitable areas. Soil A deep loamy soil, high in organic matter and plant nutrients in the best soil for maize. However, with proper management and fertilizer practices, maize can be grown successfully on any soil from loamy sand to clay. The soil should be free from salinity and waterlogging. It can be grown successfully on soils with a pH from 5.0 8.0, but 6.0 - 7.0 is optimum. If the soil pH is low, liming might be necessary.

Time of planting Maize should be planted as early in the season as possible as soon as soil conditions are favorable; in temperate countries when the major danger of frost is over, and in the tropics at the beginning of the rains. Planting dates should be chosen to avoid risky environmental conditions such as excessively cool or hot temperatures and isolation problems. Separate planting dates may be used to achieve a proper nick between the male and female parents. In Bangladesh, optimum time of sowing in rabi season is mid October to 1st week of December, in kharif I, from mid February to end of March and in kharif II, from mid July to mid August. Method of cultivation Maize can be cultivated with normal land preparation or with minimum or zero tillage. Under normal condition, four to five ploughing followed by laddering are adequate for sowing. Seeds should be sown in rows. Usually, sowing is done in furrows in light textured soils and in ridges in heavy soils. In flood prone areas, sowing can be done by dibbling method under zero tillage conditions after receding flood water. Seed treatment The purpose of treating seed by fungicide before planting is to protect against seed bron diseases. The most common fungicides used for seed treatment are Furadan and Arasan M. Seed can be treated by 50 ml of Furadan 30% (seed treater), 2g of Arasan 75% (wettable powder) and 12 ml of water per kilogram of seed. Seed rate Seed rate varies depending on the grain size, seed viability and the purpose of growing. One kg maize seed contains between 2-3 thousand grains. In commercial cultivation, for small grained variety the recommended seed rate is 20-22 kg/ha, for medium grained 23-25 kg/ha and for large grained 25-30 kg/ha. For the grain crop, these rates are quite sufficient but for a fodder crop seed rate would be increase to 7090 kg/ha. In Bangladesh, farmers use between 20 to 30 kg/ha seed for hybrid.

Planting depth Planting depth varies widely with soil conditions and climate. Usually the objective is to plant at a soil depth that will optimize soil temperature and soil water and result in rapid and high percentage germination and emergence. The usual planting depth is 5.0-12.5 cm depending on the soil type; on wet cold soils 5.0 cm may be sufficient; on dry soils planting should be deeper to get down to the moisture, and is 7.5 cm on clays, 10 cm on silts and 12.5 cm on sands. Spacing and planting density The spacing will depend upon the local climate and soil conditions and the cultivars. In Bangladesh, it is recommended to plant in rows 75 cm apart with a plant to plant spacing of 20 cm with one plant per hill which gives 66,666 plants/ha. Fertilizer requirement Fertilizers are indispensable for the crop production system of modern agriculture. Among the factors that affect crop production, fertilizer is the single most important one that plays a critical role in yield increase, provided other factors are not too limiting. Although maize can be grown in a low level of nutrient condition, it does respond well to high level of fertility. Fertilizer application depends on fertility status of the soil where maize will be grown as well as the nutrient requirement of maize plants. Fertilizer should be applied to achieve maximum seed production while considering economic and environmental factors. Appropriate fertilizer applications will vary depending on the soil and environmental conditions and the material being produced. In general, inbreds have poorer rooting capacity than hybrids and therefore, are more vulnerable to nutrient imbalances and deficiencies. Proper levels of N, P, K, are essential for adequate plant growth. In addition to N-P-K, several micronutrients are of special importance for seed development processes including magnesium (essential for germination), boron (flower development and pollen germination), zinc (seed formation) and molybdenum (endosperm development). For the main nutrients it is estimated that plants take up to an average of 3 kg of nitrogen (N), 1.35 kg of phosphorus (P2O5) and 3.1 kg of potassium (K2O) to yield 100 kg of grain. However,

in Bangladesh for inbred lines, open-pollinated and hybrid varieties the dose of N, P2O5, K2O, S, Zn and B per hectare, respectively, are as follows: i) ii) for OPV's and inbreds: 120, 80, 80, 20, 5, 1 for hybrids : 250, 120, 120, 40, 5, 1

Time and method of fertilizer application influence maize yield. One third of N and other fertilizers should be applied at the time of seed bed preparation. Remaining two third of N should be applied in two installments: One-third at floral initiation (Knee height stage) and the rest at about one week before silking. In case of dibbling method of planting, initial dose of fertilizers can be applied in the pits, 10 cm apart from the plants. The second and third doses of N can be applied as mentioned in two installments. For better yield 5-7 tons of cowdung per hectare should be applied. Intercultural operations For a good stand of maize, over planting and then thinning at crop establishment stage may be practical. In case of over-planting, thinning to a desired number should be done within two weeks of germination or when the seedlings are about 15 cm tall. Care should be taken not to disturb standing plants at the time of thinning operation. Earthing up of plants is one of the most important operations in maize cultivation. Earthing up means placing of soil near the base of the plant collected from the space between the rows. These operations helps to provide anchorage of the lower whorls of adventitious roots above the soil which then begin to function as absorbing roots. This operation also prevents the plants from lodging. The furrows made out of this operation could be used as drainage or irrigation channels, depending on the needs. This operation can be performed with the help of spade at the time of application of the second dose of N at knee height stage of the crop. Weed control is essential to ensure good harvest. In Bangladesh, weeds are not a serious problem in the winter season but in the summer season weeding is necessary. When the seedlings are about 2 weeks old, first weeding should be done. Another 2-3 weeding may be required depending on the degree of weed infestations during different life cycle of the crop. Proper weed control is particularly important, as it will greatly facilitate roguing, detasseling, field inspection, and harvest

operations. Additionally, weeds can be hosts of undesirable diseases and insects which can reduce seed quality. Two to three hoeings in between the rows are also recommended. Maize farmers of Bangladesh practice hand weeding when weed infestation is very high. Water management Maize is an efficient crop so far as use of water is concerned. It produces about one kg of dry matter for about 370-400 kg of water used, provided that the water requirement of the crop is met at all stages of crop growth. However, moisture is one of the most important factors limiting the yield of maize on non-irrigated farms. The total amount of water required for the development of maize crop varies with local conditions. Generally water requirement is higher in hot, dry and low rainfall areas, and lower in cooler and more humid areas. In summer, there is no need to irrigate except during prolonged drought period. However, if the crop is sown before rains, a pre-sowing irrigation is required for germination and good subsequent growth. Under heavy rainfall conditions, drainage will need to be provided. In winter, residual soil moisture stored from monsoon can support a good stand of maize seeds and dibbled during September and October in the flood-prone areas, once floodwater recedes. Water stress at the time of germination, floral initiation, anthesis, and grain filling stage would reduce grains yield considerably. One irrigation at each of these growth stages i.e. within a day of planting, at knee height stage of the crop growth, a week before silking and about two weeks after silking, are necessary for high yield. Waterlogging at any stages of growth is harmful. Inter-cropping Maize intercropped with groundnut, soyabean, mungbean, blackgram, chickpea, radish, tomato, potato, sweet potato, chilli and broadcasted aus rice at varying populations spacing showed good results. Equivalent yield and benefit cost ratio were found to be higher in many of the intercropped combinations.

Cropping pattern The On-Farm Research Division of BARI designed and tested several patterns alternative to farmers existing pattern at different AEZ of Bangladesh. Among them, five patterns considered to be better were recommended for farmers practice. The patterns are as follows : Land type Medium high land High land High land Medium high land Medium high land Environ ment Irrigated Rainfed Rainfed Irrigated Irrigated Cropping Pattern Ext.: B. aus (Rainfed)-T. Aman-Potato Alt.: Maize (Rainfed)-T.Aman-Potato Ext.: B. aus -Fallow-Mustard Alt.: Maize -Mungbean-Mustard Ext.: B. aus-Fallow-Mustard Alt.: Maize - Fallow-Wheat Ext.: B. aus (Rainfed)-T. aman-Wheat Alt.: Maize (Rainfed)-T.aman-Wheat Ext.: Jute (Rainfed)-T. aman-Wheat Alt.:Mungbean (Rainfed)-T.aman-Maize Prevalence in AEZ 4, 11 3, 4 11, 12 3, 4 11, 12 4 4

Ext. = Existing, Alt. = Alternative

Harvest and Post-harvest Processing

Harvesting Harvesting should be done when plants show distinct signs of drying, the husk cover is completely dry and the grains are fully mature. Grain maturity could be identified from the milk line of kernels or the formation of a black layer at the junction of grain and placenta. There are some varieties in which cobs mature and dry early while stalk remain green for a longer time. For these varieties, degree of drying of the husk cover, moisture content of the grain and black layer formation or milk line should be used to determine the harvesting time. If the crop is meant for green cobs, it should be harvested when the grain are in milk or dough stage. Farmers in the country, sometimes harvest the crop pre-maturity due to lack of knowledge. Premature harvesting of maize reduces the yield and the germination ability of the seed. At physiological maturity, seeds develop to complete functional maturity and express maximum quality potential. If possible, a prompt harvest of the maize seed crop after it reaches physiological maturity is recommended, as delays will unduly expose the seed to possible undesirable elements in the field including temperature 6

extremes, rainfall, diseases and insects, bird damage and theft. Maize seed is commonly harvested with 15 to 25% moisture content. Harvesting of fully mature seed will result in maximum yield, improved appearance of seed, better seedling vigor in the subsequent crop, greater resistance to mechanical injury while handling in the conditioning plant, and reduced susceptibility to injury from high drying temperatures. In Bangladesh, harvesting is done by hand. The cobs are separated from the stem and the plants are cut near the ground. Time of Maize ear/cob harvesting The maize cob is technically ready for harvest when the black layer has been formed and the grain has reached physiological maturity. Reportedly grain quality is the best at this stage and its starts declining as time passes and seed is exposed to various external forces. Kernels have reached their maximum dry matter accumulation at this stage. Moisture percentage at which karnels of corn varies ranges 30 to 38 (Knittle and Burris, 1976). Appropriate harvest time At physiological maturity, seeds develop to complete functional maturity and express maximum quality potential. Moisture content at this stage ranges from 3035% in maize grain. Maize grain obtain physiological maturity typically few days prior to field maturity. Seed moisture content at physiological maturity is too high to permit mechanical harvesting and handling. Also, drying costs are often excessive when harvesting at this stage. Therefore, cobs should be kept on the plant untill moisture declines to economically acceptable level (20-25%), and this stage is defined as field maturity.

Harvesting when fully mature results in: Improved appearance of grains. Greater resistance to mechanical injury while handling & processing plants. Harvesting fully mature grain will results in the maximum yield. Method of harvesting, husking and sorting Maize ears may be harvested by hand or machinery. Ears can be harvested directly from maize plant by removing the husk from ears or with the husk intact. Mechanical harvester can be used for harvesting for large amount of cobs. Consideration for harvesting At the time of harvesting if there is chance of rain, slidely twisting (bend) and dropping the maize stalk just beneath the ears, so that rain water cannot enter into the cob through the ear tips. Sorting of cobs or removal of Drying At harvest innitialy the moisture contect remains usually high and it fast deteriorate the seed. Drying is done to preserve the grain quality and bring down the moisture prior to shelling. Time required for drying repends on shape, size of ear and dryness of the grain. Methods of drying Conventional method (1) Sun drying De-husked corn ears or shelled corns are dried by spreading them evenly & thinly on concrete floor with sheets or mats, plastic or tarpauline. Drying takes about 2 to 3 sunny days. It depends on initial MC and weather condition. Ears with husks should be down to about 18 to 20% moisture prior to shelling, while shelled corn about 12% for storage. Rotten ear Diseased ear Undesirable ear Insect damaged ear

Precautions required in sun drying

use of tarpauline, sheets, mats etc. Frequent turning of dehusked ears/shelled grains for uniform drying (2) (3) By natural ventilation Another method is suspending rows of bundled corn ear with husk open to expose the kernels on bamboo poles.

Artificial method This method is ideal for large volume and during wet season. Artificial drying is often necessary to maintain required moisture content when sun drying is disrupted by frequent rainfall. Heated air forced to pass through the grain mass for quick drying. When grain moisture 35-40%, dried at lower temperature than 40 Oc When grain moisture 20% or less dried up to 45 Oc temperature to bring the grain moisture 12-13% (Beck,2000) Shelling, cleaning and sizing Shelling, cleaning and sizing of maize grain are necessary to prepare a Uniform Product High quality product Satisfactory in appearance and free from mixtures Shelling Significant percentages of maize grains are lost due to poor shelling and drying facilities. Capacity of BARI manual maize sheller is 30-35 kg/ha. The shelling capacity of BARI small power sheller is 1000 kg/hr. and the shelling capacity of large power sheller is 2000-2500 kg/hr. Hood shelling obtained at 800 to 900 RPM of the shelling rotor. Shelling moisture content of maize grain is slight below 20% dry basis. Higher or much below 20% moisture content of grains will face mechanical damage. Considerations while shelling to get a good quality grain Shell at proper moisture Check for mechanical damage if any, that makes lower quality grain. For threshing, use threshing floor. Cleaning Grains from sheller contains varying amounts of foreign material, consisting of bits of cob, husk, silk, pieces of kernels and on occasion, insect larvae brought in from the field with the ear corn, storage property, plant ability, and appearance of 9

grain are greatly enhanced by removal of such debris. After shelling corn grain are dried well in the sum or by direr. Automatic cleaner then clears by hand winnowing or in large scale the grains. Cleaning must be closely supervised and must not be left to labourers.

Harvest and post-harvest losses can be from Ears left out during harvest Leaving the second and smaller earn on plants during harvest Grain losses during shelling, drying, cleaning, handling and storage Lodged plants in the field At least 8% of field losses can be expented Seed Storage The aim of storing is to put the grain for drying The most critical atmospheric conditions are temperature and relative humidity, which control grain MC in open storage. One of the major sources of loss in quality and quantity of maize grain is in the storage are of fungi, insects, rodents and mites. For preventing insect infestation, fumigation can be done by using phostoxin tablet (3 tob/ton) Persons responsible for storage must keep up-to-date on such diverse topics as good physiology, refrigeration, engineering and rodents and insect control. Before Storage check of MC is important To avoid deterioration Required for safe storage Reduction of seed-borne insects and diseases attack High moisture will cause Excessive mold growth and May drastically and rapidly reduce germination Conclusion Care must be taken in producing quality maize grain during harvesting, drying, shelling, handling and storage.

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 High quality grain is the results of careful planning and attention, with a sincere desire to produce grain of the highest possible potential performance.

References
Beck, D.L. 2002. Management of hybrid maize seed production. CIMMYT, Mexico. Delonche, J.C. 1973. Precepts of seed storage. Seed Technology Laboratory Mississipi State University, Pp. 97-122. Harrington, 1959. Drying, storing and Packaging seeds to maintain germination & vigour. Proceedings Miss. short course for seedsmen, 1959. Miss. State Univ., Stark ville, M.S. Pp. 80-107. Hossain, S.A. and Hoque, M.M. 2000. Varietal and cultural management development on maize in Bangladesh. Paper presented in the national workshop on Development and Utilization of Maize in Bangladesh. Improvement and production of maize, sorghum and millet. 1980. (Vol. 2-breeding, agronomy and seed production). FAO. Rome. Pp. 142-157. Islam, T.M.T. and Kaul, A.K. 1986. Prospects of Maize in Bangladesh. FAO/UNDP Project, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Pp. 49-57. Jugenheimer, R.W. 1976. Corn-Improvement, Seed Production and uses. John willey & Sons, NewYork. Pp. 467-483. Karim, M.A. 1995. Maize storage problem: Stored-grain pests and diseases of maize and their management. Paper presented at the national maize promotion workshop. Knittle, K.H. and J.S. Burris. 1976. Effect of kernel maturation on subsequent seedling vigor in maize. Crop Sci. 16: 851-855. Purseglove, J.W. 1975. Tropical crops: Mono-colyledons (Vol. 1&2 combined). Longman, London. Pp. 300-334.

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Maize Varieties and Quality Seeds

Dr. Bhagya Rani Banik
Bangladesh is the most densely populated part of the world. Though cereal productivity of the country has increased significantly by adoption of HYVs concomitant with appropriate government policies and program, still it cannot keep pace with the population growth of the country as it is increasing at an alarming rate. This situation necessitated producing more food for the fast growing population of the country, which is not possible only through rice and wheat. Moreover, every day the country is losing 221 hectares of cropland owing to industrialization, urbanization and river erosion. So, high productive crop like maize is important now. Presents status Maize in Bangladesh is becoming an important crop in the rice based cropping system. With the increasing demand from poultry and other feed industries it is expected that more area will be diverted from Boro rice to hybrid maize in the coming years. Every year the country is importing a huge amount of maize grain to meet the poultry feed demand. Therefore, increasing maize production in the country is a serious concern of the government. Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) initiated its maize improvement program in early eightees with a view to develop high yielding varieties of maize. So far BARI released 8 open-pollinated varieties (Table 1) and 11 hybrids (Table 2). Yield productivity of the released OPVs and hybrids ranges from 5.5 to 7.0 t/ha and 8.5 to 11.5 t/ha (Bhuiyan and Amiruzzaman. 2002), respectively. Area, Production and Major Shifts Rice is the main crop that produces the highest amount of cereals and covers maximum cultivated areas. Maize acreage and production have an increasing tendency with the introduction of hybrids since 1993. Maize productivity in the country seems to be the highest in the Asian region with an average yield of 5.75 t/ha.

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This is due to favorable growing conditions during the maize growing season (October to March) and the increased use of hybrid seeds and improve production practices by growers (Gonzalez et al., 2001). It is increasing with an exponential rate (Agrawal, 2002). Higher yield up to 9-10 t/ha can be obtained using hybrid seeds, balance fertilizers and better management (Iqbal, 2001). Achievement on Maize Breeding Program Research on varietal improvement of maize was initiated after the independence of Bangladesh in 1971 at BARI with limited manpower and resources. Open-Pollinated Varieties Initial thrust was given for the development of composite varieties as it has an advantage over hybrid in greater convenience of seed multiplication. Moreover, there was shortage of trained manpower for hybrid development. So far BARI has developed eight OPVs viz. Barnali, Shuvra, Khoibhutta (popcorn), Mohar, BARI Maize 5, 6 and 7 and BARI sweet corn 1. BARI sweetcorn 1 produced 10.0 tons/ha green cob with TSS 18% and it also gave 24.2 tons/ha green biomass. Besides these, one baby corn line is in the pipeline. Hybrid Maize Since early nineties, breeding strategy of the country is directed towards the development of hybrid maize. BARI conducted several CIMMYT hybrid trials every year. From these trials and local breeding programs 11 hybrids has been developed. Inbred Development BARI has its own inbred development program. Research for the development of inbred line is going on and some inbreds are developed locally. Local and exotic promising germplasm are used as the source population. Promising single crosses are also being recycled for extraction of superior inbred lines. Some lines are in advanced generations. Side by side introduced inbred lines from CIMMYT and other organizations are also being evaluated and maintained. Both exotic and locally developed promising inbred lines are being used extensively in hybridization program for development of single cross and top cross hybrids (Bhuiyan and Amiruzzaman. 2002). Breeders Seed Production

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Seed is one of the main limiting factors for expansion of maize area in the country. BARI with its limited resources, produce breeders seed and distributed to BADC and other NGOs for multiplication. Most of the hybrids cultivating in the country are imported. Different seed companies and businessman are importing seeds of different hybrid varieties (eg. Pacific 11, 60, 984, 988, 983, 962K, Pinacle, NK 40, NK 46, 900M, 900M gold, 962, Pinacle, Pioneer V92 etc) directly from Thailand, India, China, Vietnam and other countries. BRAC, an NGO started to produce hybrid seed locally by importing inbred lines from multinational seed companies by paying royalty. At the present rate of importing hybrid seed, Bangladesh needs to import about 4000 tons of hybrid seed. Only 20% requirements of hybrid seed (1000-1500 tons) is met from local production. So, local production of hybrid seed should be expanded to reduce import. Bangladesh is in favorable situation to expand and develop a strong and efficient maize seed industry (Gonzalez et al. 2001). Private seed companies and NGOs need both technical and financial support to produce hybrid seed locally. BARI started giving parent lines of BARI maize hybrids to different local seed companies, NGOs and BADC. They are successfully producing hybrid maize seed with the assistance of maize scientists and they reported that cost of production of local hybrid is just 1 dollar/kg, whereas the farmers are buying imported hybrid seeds at a price of about 3.5-4.5 dollar/kg. Extension Activities Maize is a newly introduced crop in Bangladesh. Its cultivation is gaining popularity in the country very quickly due to its high yield potential. The existing rate can only be maintained through farmers training, extension work and steady supply of quality seed. Prospects of maize in Bangladesh Among the cereals grown in Bangladesh, maize is the third most important crop after rice and wheat. Now it is grown on an estimated area of 2.02 lakh hectares with an annual production of 13.76 lakh tons. Maize has gained an increasingly important attention by the government. Demaned of maize is lively to progressively increase in near future. This is mainly due to the huge demand of maize, particularly for poultry

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feed industry. Besides maize has diversified uses as food and industrial raw materials. Moreover, cultivation of hybrid maize is much profitable than boro rice and wheat. Local production can reduce maize import. It will also be cheaper to support animal industries as well as upgrade human food in the country. Price of imported maize is usually higher than local maize. This has initiated the local producers and thus more and more farmers are now moving into maize cultivation. Potential area of maize is very high in Bangladesh and it is about 2.8 million hectares (Table 3). Maize cultivation can be increased extensively in Dhaka and Rajshahi division and moderately in Chittagong. Covering one-third of the potential area (0.93 million ha) with 8.0 t/ha yield. The demand of maize in 2030 would be 3.50 million tons and the target areas would be 2.97 million hectare (Table 4). There are ample scopes for maize cultivation in Bangladesh which are mentioned below: Climate and soil of Bangladesh Geographically Bangladesh is located between 20o34' and 26o38' north latitude and between 88o01' and 92o41' east longitude. The climatic condition is suitable for maize cultivation in the country. Maize can be grown in all most all types of soils. So there is a bright future of maize in Bangladesh. Maize cultivation in rabi and kharif season Maize has been included in different cropping pattern for both rabi and kharif season, such as Maize-T.Aman-Potato, Maize-Mungbean-Mustard, Maize-FallowWheat etc. which encourage the farmers' income. Farmer always wants to cultivate profitable and low risk crops. As farmers are getting higher yield, lower risk and higher profit from maize than rice and wheat, they are gradually diverting their efforts in maize cultivation. Therefore, maize cultivation is being rapidly expanding both in rabi and kharif seasons. Maize as intercrop Cropping sequences and intercropping patterns to maximize the profit per hectare and per year need to be identified. Maize can be cultivated in different intercropping, such as Chilli + Maize, Sweet Potato + Maize, Grass pea + Pea-Maize (Zero tillage), Tomato + Maize and Potato + Maize, Maize + Groundnut, Maize + Blackgram, Maize + Pulse, Maize + Reddish etc.

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Maize can be cultivated by zero or minimum cultivation Like grasspea, pea, blackgram, mungbean, gram, wheat etc. maize can easily be grown by zero or minimum tillage. Moreover, maize is a deep rooted crop which absorbs water & nutrition from the deep sub-soil and thus increases nutrient recycling. Maize as homestead agriculture There are about two crore dwellings in Bangladesh. As maize can be grown in zero or minimum tillage, there are ample scope to cultivate maize in the homestead. Maize in post-flooding condition Just after receding flood water, maize can be easily grown in char areas which ensure the crop cultivation to combat the flood disaster. Human consumption As a human food, maize can be targated for the low income groups both in rural and urban areas. Once it is popularized, middle and upper class will adapt it which happened in the case of wheat in Bangladesh. Different types of human food can be prepared from maize. Like Roti, Paratha, Mixed roti, Potato-maize roti, Puri, Maize pancakes, Maize flour-meal mix, Loaf bread, Muffin, Maize kheer, Maize cake, Maize biscuits, Maize khichuri, Maize-rice khichuri, Maize meal rolls, Cheese puffs, Maize fritters, Maize pullao, Maize porridge, Maize cobs, Green maize cobs, Boiled maize, Fried maize, Popcorn, Maize bhaji, Maize curry, Maize pudding, Cutlets etc. (Islam and Kaul, 1986). But most of the people of our country are not familiar with all the above mentioned preparations. So, extension program in large scale to be taken to popularize maize as human consumption. Researcher, extension officers, relevant NGOs can play a vital role in this regard. Maize flour and grits can also be distributed through 'Food for Work' (Islam and Kaul, 1986). Food value Maize is rich in nutrients. If the people are conscious, it has bright prospects in Bangladesh. Its food value is higher than rice, wheat & sorghum. Maize as poultry feed

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Demand for maize as a component of poultry feed is already high in the country. Maize is one of the important ingredients in poultry, swine and cattle ration due to its high carotene and food value. Almost every family possesses few numbers of poultry. Moreover, the number of poultry is increasing day by day. Poultry industry is also increasing to its market demand. So, as a poultry feed, the demand of maize is very high. In this regard, contact between owner of poultry industry and farmer can encourage farmer to grow more maize. Extension worker may play a vital role. Maize as fodder Potential for increasing area under maize fodder or silage is also high in the country. Considerable quantity of fodder would be available when area under maize as green cobs as well as in some cases as grain is increased. Thus fodder maize may meet up the requirments of livestock to some extent.

Maize as fish feed There are ample scopes of maize as fish feed. But no step has yet been taken in this regard. So, government should take proper steps to establish such type of industry. Maize as industrial use The immediate prospect of using maize in the industry lies in the use of maize as raw materials for starch industry, corn oil industry breakfast cereal industry and confectionary (Islam and Kaul, 1986). It also may help in solving unemployment problem. Maize as fuel With the production of maize, large quantity of stalks will be produced. Apart from using maize stalks as cooking fuel, possibilities of using stalks in the paper, hardboard and other industries could be examined. Maize as a good source of oil The maize grain contents 5-12% oil (Hossain, 1993). It is very useful for I.Q. of baby, pragnant and breast feeding mother. The corn oil is also very beneficial for liver and kidney.

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Maize is recognized for its high yielding capacity. Its performance on experimental skill in Bangladesh is highly encouraging and all feasibility reports suggest that the demand for maize as food, feed, fooder, industrial use will help to grow maize in large scale in Bangladesh. Above all both Governments and public attempt may create a bright prospect in Bangladesh. Seed germination test The germination percentage of seeds should be tested first before sowing in the field. Germenation of seeds can be tested in differet simple metheods. Putting 100 seeds seatterdly in a soil made flat pot or wet jute made mats and after counting of germinated seed, makes it in percentage. Seeds germinated below 80% are not good and not wise to use. Characteristics of BARI and exotic Hybrids and their availability in Bangladesh Marketing of maize in Bangladesh Demand for maize as a component of poultry feed is already high in the country. Maize is one of the important ingredients in poultry and caltte ration due to its high carotene and food value. Poultry industry is also increasing to its market demand. So as poultry feed, the demand of maize is very high. In this regard, contact between owner of poultry industry and farmers can encourage farmer to grow more maize. There is a strong maize market channel in North Bengal areas. Farmers can easily sale maize to buyers with satisfachery price and they are getting more benefity than from wheat or rice cultivation.

Table 1. List of composite maize varieties developed by BARI Variety 1. Barnali 2. Shuvra 3. Mohar 4. BARI Maize 5 Yield (t/ha) 4.0-5.0 t/ha 4.5-5.5 t/ha 4.5-5.6 t/ha 5.5-6.0 t/ha Year of release 1986 1986 1986 1997 Suitable area The crop can be cultivated all over Bangladesh The crop can be cultivated all over Bangladesh The crop can be cultivated all over Bangladesh The crop can be cultivated all over Bangladesh

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5. BARI Maize 6 6. BARI Maize 7 7. Khoibhutta 8. BARI Sweet corn 1

5.7-6.2 t/ha 5.5-6.5 t/ha 4.5-5.0 t/ha 10-10.5 t/ha

1998 1998 1986 2002

The crop can be cultivated all over Bangladesh The crop can be cultivated all over Bangladesh The crop can be cultivated all over Bangladesh Homestead areas

Table 2. List of hybrid maize varieties developed by BARI during 2000-2010 Hybrid Variety BARI hybrid maize 1 BARI hybrid maize 2 BARI hybrid maize 3 BARI hybrid maize 4 BARI hybrid maize 5 BARI hybrid maize 6 BARI hybrid maize 7 BARI hybrid maize 8 BARI hybrid maize 9 BARI hybrid maize 10 BARI hybrid maize 11 Yield (t/ha) 7.5 - 8.5 8.0 -9.0 9.0 -9.5 7.5 - 8.5 9.0 - 10.0 9.8 - 10.0 10.5-11.2 9.7 -11.5 10.2 -12.0 9.0 -11.5 9.5 -11.5 Maturity 140-145 138-142 144-150 142-146 140-145 141-145 141-145 142-146 145-150 145-150 147-153 Year of release 2000 2002 2002 2002 2004 2006 2006 2007 2007 2008 2008 Grain colour and texture Orange-yellow, flint Orange-yellow, semi-flint Yellow, dent Orange-yellow, flint Orange-yellow, flint Yellow, flint Yellow, flint Yellow, dent Orange-yellow, dent Yellow, flint Yellow, flint

Table 3. Suitable area for maize cultivation by administrative divisions. Division Dhaka Rajshahi Chittagong Khulna Barisal Total Source: IMPP, DAE Rabi 522 1,359 375 139 8 2,403 Potential area ( 000 ha) Kharif Total 180 702 150 1,509 27 402 45 184 3 11 405 2,808 Percent 25 54 14 6 1 100

Table 4. Production target in 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2030 (as far as available) Projected population/ Demand/ Production target of maize Projected pop. (mil.) Demand (mil. ton) Target area (m ha) 2010 148.0 1.88 0.20 Projected Year 2015 2020 156.7 2.25 0.30 166.9 3.00 0.35

2030 190.6 3.50 0.40

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Target avg. yield (t/ha) Prodn, target (mil. ton)

6.5 1.30

7.5 2.25

8.0 2.80

8.5 2.97

References Agrawal, B.D.2002. Hybrid Maize Seed Production. Misson Report. Thana Cereal Technology Transfer and Identification Project, Bangladesh. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. March, 2002. Bhuiyan, M.S.A. and M. Amiruzzaman. 2002. Changes in priorities maize research in Bangladesh and relation to CIMMYT regional activities. Country Paper Presented at the 8th Asian Regional Maize Workshop held from August, 58, 2002 at Bangkok, Thailand. Gonzalez, F., S.K. Vasal and C. Meisner. 2001. Towards an efficient maize seed industry in Bangladesh. Lessons from past experience and current research. National Workshop on "Evolving Maize Industry Development in Bangladesh" held on 9 June,2001 at BARC, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Islam, T. M. T. and A. K. Kaul. 1986. Prospects of Maize in Banladesh. FAO/UNDP Project- Strengthening the Agricultural Extension Service. DAE, Dhaka, Bangladesh. p.125-134. Iqbal, J. 2001. Exploiting potentials of maize in Bangladesh. National Workshop on "Evolving Maize Industry Development in Bangladesh" held on 9 June, 2001 at BARC, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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