Maize (botanical name: Zea mays).

Maize also called corn is a cereal crop produced in many parts of the world, here in Africa there are different varieties like; dent maize, flint corn, flour corn, pop corn, sweet corn and pod corn.

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Maize is one of the staple food supply of many home which provides nutritional supplements to everyone.

The grain is prepared in so many different ways, it can be boiled or roasted or made into a paste that can be eaten by adults and children who are being weaned.
Popcorn a snack which every one enjoys is made from maize, also corn flakes and oats are all prepared using corn (maize).
Even flour can be milled from it, and used for preparing lot of things.
maize forms the base of most livestock feeds and is particularly relished by poultry, cattle and pigs. It can be made into silage.

METHOD OF PROPAGATION

Maize is propagated by seeds. It's seed can be planted maually with stick or cutlass, or mechanically by a planter. The seeds are sown 2-4cm deep at a spacing of 30cm along the row. 2 to 3 seeds are sown per stand (hole).

CLIMATE AND SOIL REQUIREMENTS

Maize requires a well drained neutral or alkaline sandy loamy soil, yield can be increased by the application of nitrogenous and phosphate fertilizers. A rain fall of 30-60 per annual is adequate,

PERIODS FOR CULTIVATION

In Much of west Africa, there are two distinct rainfall and two crops of maize can be grown in one year.
The planting date for early maize is March to April, and for the late crop August to September.
The seeds begins to germinate after 4 days. As the maize plant matures, they produce first the male inflorescence or the tassels at the top of the plant and then the female flowers below. The stigma of the female flowers are called silks. Cross-pollination usually occurs.

HARVESTING

Maize can be harvested by hand, sickle or corn picker 14-20 weeks after sowing. this depends on the variety and climate.
Its either harvested green or dry, this is done by plucking the cob by hand an a small scale and by machines in larger scales.

STORAGE

if you wish to store your produce, it must be first of all dried to remove moisture so as to prevent spoilage.
On a large scale its stored in silos, on a small scale bins or rhumbus, so as to ensure the availability of the crop even when its out of season.

Some of the challenges associated with maize are pests and diseases.
Common pests includes; grasshoppers, maize weevils and stem borers.
It's diseases are; corn smut, leaf spot and maize streak.
all these reduces the yield of the farmers and produces poor qualities of corn grown.
they can be controlled by using insecticides and fungicides and also through the use of varieties resistant to these diseases.

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This is one food every body enjoy eating, depending on how best you like it prepared, Its eaten directly cooked or roasted, or processed to produce other products.