Planting good maize seed variety in fertile well-tilled land is not a guarantee of a bumper harvest.
How well you feed the crop and protect it against pests and diseases. What happens when you don’t feed well your maize crops?
Stunted growth combined with premature yields caused by lack or poor feeding leads to poor yield and hence losses. Research has shown that pests and diseases account for over 60% of the losses that most maize farmers get.
However, these losses can be mitigated with the right feeding and spraying. Which should start as early as 14 days from sowing.
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Fertilizer application
Top dress with fertilizers rich in phosphorus and nitrogen such as DAP or NPK 23.23.0 after all seeds have germinated (10 to 14 days from sowing).
The rate of application often depends on the soil test analysis that indicates how fertile or infertile the land is. A minimum application of 100 kgs of fertilizer per acre is the most recommended.
Three weeks later, NPK 17.17.17 is applied to boost leaf and stem development which prepares the maize crop for tassel development. CAN is applied at the beginning of the third month to help in corn development.
Spray programme
At the beginning of the second month from sowing, spraying Thunder or Match or Belt or Oberon speed(insecticides) to prevent and control Fawl Army Worm(FAW), Maize Stalk Borer and Cut Worms. The same spray application is repeated after 14 days to kill any pests that missed the first spray.
Folicur (fungicide) can be sprayed in the event of RUST infestation.
Auxo, Lumax, Governor, Stella Star, Surestart, Monolith and Servian (selective maize herbicides) can be used in controlling weeds, especially in large-scale farming.
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