Maize Introduction
Maize popularly known as “corn” is one of the most versatile emerging cash crops having wider adaptability under varied climatic conditions. It is called queen of cereals globally. In india, maize is the third most important food cash crops after wheat & rice.
The maize is grown throughout the year in all states of the country for various purposes including fodder for animals, food grain, sweet corn, baby corn, green cobs, and pop corn. Corn flour is consumed widely in Indian cooking.
Maize serves as a basic raw material to thousands of industrial products that may include oil, starch, alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages, pharmaceutical, food sweeteners, food cereals, cosmetic, and film, gum, textile, package and paper industries.
Health Benefits of Maize
Maize is good for digestion due to its fiber content.
Maize helps in lowering LDL (bad) Cholesterol.
Maize may prevent diabetes & hypertension.
Maize has anti-cancer properties.
Maize helps in improving vision.
Maize is beneficial for heart.
Maize helps in preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
Maize helps in preventing skin problems.
Major Maize Production States In India
Maize is largely cultivated crop in north India. Major maize growing states are:UP, Rajasthan, MP, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab which together account for two-third of the total area and output of the crop. Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh states are the major producers of maize in south india. MP ranks first in the production of maize in the country.
Local Names of Maize in India
Maka(Hindi, Marathi, Oriya), Bhutta(Bengali), Makai(Gujarati), Makaa’y(Kashmiri), Musikinu jola(Kannada), Cholam(Malayalam), Makka Cholam(Tamil), Mokka jonnalu(Telugu).
Maize Cultivation in India: Conditions, Production and Distribution
Maize is an inferior grain which is used both as food and fodder. Its grain provides food and is used for obtaining starch and glucose. Its stalk is fed to cattle.
Maize Growth Conditions In India
Maize can be grown under varied climatic and soil conditions.
Maize is mainly a rainfed kharif crop which is sown just before the onset of monsoon and is harvested after retreat of the monsoon. In Tamil Nadu it is a rabi crop and is sown a few weeks before the onset of winter rainy season in Sept. and Oct. It requires 50-100 cm of rainfall and it cannot be grown in areas of more than 100 cm rainfall.
In areas of lesser rainfall, the crop is irrigated. For example, more than half of the maize area in Punjab and Karnataka is irrigated. Long dry spell during the rainy season is harmful for maize. Sunshine after showers is very useful for maize. Cool and dry weather helps in ripening of the grain.
This crop usually grows well under temperatures varying from 21℃ to 27℃, although it can tolerate temperatures as high as 35℃. Frost is injurious to maize and this crop is grown only in those areas where there are about four and a half frost free months in a year.
Fertile well-drained alluvial or red loams free from coarse materials and rich in nitrogen are the best soils for its successful growth. Well drained plains are best suited for its cultivation, although it grows in some hilly areas also. The cultivation of maize in India is characterised by inter-culture i.e. along with and in pulses, vegetables and oil seeds.
Maize Production In India
Maize is an important cereal of India and is grown over 4 per cent of the net area sown of the country. There have been large variations in the production of maize in India since Independence. It was only 1.7 million tonnes in 1950-51 which rose to 4.1 million tonnes in 1960-61 and 7.5 million tonnes in 1970-71.
ADVERTISEMENTS:Thereafter, the production has been variable till 1984-85 when it further rose to 84.42 lakh tonnes. The production fell to 57.21 in the drought year of 1987-88. Since then it has been steadily rising. Year 2003-04 was the record year when all the three aspects of maize viz., production, area and yield were the highest. In that year, India produced 14.7 million tonnes of maize from 7.4 million hectares of land with an average yield of 1963 kg/hectare.
Maize Distribution In India
More than half the maize of India is produced in four states of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan. Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer of maize in India. This state contributed over 14 per cent of maize from about 13.5 per cent of maize area of the country. Madhya Pradesh has large percentage of cropped area under maize cultivation in the districts of Mandla, Ujjain, Indore, Ratlam and Jhabua.
Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have emerged as important producers of maize in India. The yield of maize in these two states is much higher than the traditional producing states. In both the states, maize is provided with proper irrigation. The arid lands of Rajasthan are specially suited to maize cultivation where it is grown in Udaipur, Bhilwara, Dungurpur, Chittaurgarh and Banswara districts.
Rajasthan has the largest area under maize cultivation and this state gives the lowest yields among all the major maize producing states of India. The Upper Ganga Plain of Uttar Pradesh is an important producer of maize in the state. In Uttar Pradesh, maize is grown in as many as 25 districts but Bulandshahar, Jaunpur, Ghaziabad, Bahraich, Farrukhabad and Gonda are the main producing districts.
In Gujarat, Mahsana, Banaskantha, Rajkot and Kheda districts in the valleys of the Sabarmati and Mahi rivers are the main producers and together contribute over 55 per cent of the state production. At one stage, Bihar was the largest producer of maize but this state has lost much of its importance as a major maize producer in the country.
Almost all the districts of the north Ganga plain produce maize but the major production comes from Samastipur, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Purnea, Purbi Champaran and Siwan districts. The hilly areas of Himachal Pradesh are also well suited to maize cultivation. Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur and Chamba districts occupy an important position in the production of maize.
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