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TOPIC: Husbandry of Selected Crops
CONTENT:
- Cereal-Maize
- Legume-Cowpea
- Root & Tuber-Yam
SUB TOPIC 1: Maize: Zea mays
DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT
Maize belongs to the family GRAMINEAE which originated from America and has become one of the main food crops in West Africa. It is used in various forms as food by man and it’s also used as livestock feeds. It is a monocotyledonous annual plant which reaches a height of about 1m to 3m. The stem is soft and is divided into several internodes by the nodes. The leaves are long, flat with midribs and parallel veins. The plant is shallow-rooted and has adventitious roots underground. Some of the adventitious root also develops at the lower internodes of the stem above the ground. These are called prop root. Maize has both the male and female flowers on the same plant. The male (tassels) are borne in the terminal pinnacle while the female flowers are borne in the combs or ears. The fruit is one-seeded.
VARIETIES OF MAIZE: Some varieties of maize are: flint, floury, dent, yellow (TZRS),
White Maize (Ferz 27) and hybrid maize such as 8434-11
METHOD OF PROPAGATION: Maize is propagated by seed (sexual)
CLIMATIC AND SOIL REQUIREMENT: It requires a temperature of about 10ºC and 46ºC. Annual rainfall is 750-1500mm. It requires loamy soil which is neutral or alkaline. However, maize will grow in all soil except pure sand.
LAND PREPARATION AND PLANTING: The land should be cleared manually or mechanically. At times, low ridges, mounds or beds are prepared. Planting on flat soil is also good provided the place is free from erosion. In the South, it is planted in the late February to April for early maize and August for late maize. In the North, it is planted in June. However, maize can be planted anytime of the year if water is available. The depth should be 5cm deep.
PLANTING DISTANCE AND SEED RATE: Maize is planted 90 x 40 cm at 2 seeds per stand or 75 x 25 cm at 1 seed per stand. 20-25kg of seed is required per hectare planted at 2 seed per stand.
SUPPLYING/THINNING: Supplying should be done to fill un-germinated seeds while the excess germinated seeds should be thinned to two plants per stand.
MANURE AND FERTILIZER APPLICATION: Planting in freshly cleared forest soil may not require fertilizers. On a used land, apply 15:15:15 NPK at planting, then Sulphate of Ammonia four weeks after planting.
WEED CONTROL: Maize plot is weeded clean within the first five weeks of planting. Hoe or cutlass can be used on small farm while selected herbicides can be used on large farms.
HARVESTING, PROCESSING: The maturity varies from 90 -120 days. However, some varieties mature early. The maize cobs are ready for harvesting when silks begin to dry, this is green harvesting. On the alternative, the maize plant may be allowed to dry, this is dry harvesting. Harvesting can be done by plucking the cobs with hands while combine harvester is used for large scale.
STORAGE: The dry maize may be stored along with the husks by hanging over a fire place for heating and drying. The husk may be removed, the cobs thoroughly dried in the sun and stored in bags or cribs. The dehusked maize cobs may be shelled and the dried grains stored in bags, plastic drums or silos
PESTS OF MAIZE: The major field pests of maize are weaver birds, rodents and stem borers while the major storage pests are weevils and rats
DISEASES OF MAIZE: These include maize rust, maize steak, Corn smut, and Lead blast
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF MAIZE
- It serves as staple food for man
- Industrial uses such as flour, starch, gums, brew etc
- Sources of income to man
Maize grain can be eaten roasted or boiled or processed into starch or corn flour, corn flakes, pap or corn meal.
EVALUATION
- Briefly describe the plant, maize.
- Explain the cultivation of maize under the following headings: seed rate, planting depth, planting distance, planting date and fertilizer requirement.
SUB TOPIC 2:
Cowpea: Vigna unguiculata
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