Maize (Zea mays) also known as corn is the world’s leading crop and is widely cultivated as cereal grain. Maize is the third most important crop hereafter paddy and wheat in terms of area and production. Maize cultivation is a way of life for most farmers in the hills of Nepal. It is a traditional crop cultivated as food, feed and fodder on sloping Bari land (rainfed upland) in the hills. Maize is grown under rainfed condition during the summer (April-August) as a single crop or related with millet later in the season. Maize production has been gradually increasing by about 5% annually. More than two-third of the maize produced in the mid hills and high hills is used for direct human consumption at the farm level and ratio of human consumption to total production is higher in less accessible areas. In the terai, less than 50% of the maize is used for human consumption. According to FAO 54%, 19%, 13.8% and 14% were used for feed, food manufacture, direct food and bioethanol respectively.
Varieties of Maize that farmer prefer
Different topography, culture, tradition, environment contributes for the selection of different maize varieties. The main reason that influences farmers’ choice of variety is the level of productivity, maturity period, harvesting, time, quality, quantity of foliage. In comparison to the hills, there are few traditional varieties grown in terai which are Tinpankhe, Sathiya, and Murali and cultivated mainly for home consumption with their fodder used as livestock feed. In terai region and most of the areas of mid-hills market facility, demand and price determines selection of variety.
Mankamana-3, Manakamana-4, Manakamana-6, Rampur composite, Poshilo makai-1, Ganesh-2, Arun-4, Arun-6 are the varieties used in Nepal. Mean area of maize cultivation in Nepal is about 0.43ha/HH. Only seven improved varieties were adopted on a large scale. Rampur composite, Deuti, Manakamana-3, and Hybrid CP 808 are found to be highly adopted improved varieties in Nepal.
Scope of maize cultivation
Maize is the only food cereal crop that can be grown in diverse seasons, ecologies and uses. The demand for maize is shifting from food to feed for livestock and poultry. For foods new types of maize-based products such as soup, vegetables, and edible oils are in demand. Maize bran is loaded with insoluble fiber, which is important for digestive health and soluble fiber, which helps to lower the cholesterol level in the blood. While the productivity of maize in the country remains low, the overall demand for human consumption and livestock feed is increasing gradually which means farmers can grow more producing high yielding varieties and utilizing the bare land, which means use of land in a good manner. It also provides income opportunities to the farmers. Manakmana-3 is the new high yielding variety in hills according to the farmers. The product releases from maize are also useful not for only human consumption but also for livestock.
Major constraints of maize cultivation
There are many problems and challenges in the maize production system. One of the major factors is diseases and pests in maize fields and stores. Turcicum blight in the eastern and mid western mid hills and high heels, rot in the central and Midwestern hills. One of the factors that contribute to low productivity is a faulty thinning practice that leads to suboptimal plant population at harvest. The main challenge of maize cultivation in Nepalese farmers is low seed quality which produces low productivity. Large volumes of low quality hybrid and other seeds are imported from India and distributed among the farmers by the medium of agro vets, mainly to the bordering districts which causes crop failure. Farmers use different high doses of fertilizer, insecticides, pesticides compared to the standard recommended dose due to the lack of information in rural areas of Nepal. In most of the area of Nepal improved technology is beyond the reach of the farming community because of their unavailability and high price. Soil fertility is one of the most serious constraints to maize production. Even though a fertilizer is readily available and commonly used in most of the areas of terai, problems of micro nutrients deficiencies’ have been noted and the current practices do not solve the problem. Weed infestation, water management and socio economy are also the major constraints of maize cultivation.
Hence, to improve the productivity of maize high varieties seeds to be provided to the farmers and effective strategies production should be applied. Improved technologies should be introduced to the first Farmers. Appropriate information and high training should be provided to the farmers about the different cereal crops. Government should also create an environment for the establishment of maize industries to replace large quantities of maize products which are imported into the country. The most pressing constraints that are likely to have a technical impact should be addressed.
