The maize crop is another highly demanded staple food in Nigeria and worldwide. It contains various nutrients such as vitamin B, carbohydrates, protein, and iron. It also has about 19.5% of calories compared to other cereals such as rice which has about 16.5% and wheat with about 15.0%.

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Despite its high demand, maize production is generally low. In Nigeria, its yield clocks about 10.5 metric tons, and Nigeria is reckoned one of the largest producers of maize in Africa and the 11th largest producer in the world.

Being a versatile crop, maize is not only consumed by families but various industries as well in Nigeria and beyond. It’s used in the baking of bread and other confectioners and also used by brewers and flour millers. It’s also used as animal feed by those that rear livestock.

Popcorn is a typical example of transformed maize. Sometimes people question whether maize and corn are the same. Well, these two are the same except that the British basically refers to theirs as maize while Americans regard theirs as corn.

The low yields of maize in Nigeria in spite of the high demand doesn’t happen without a reason.

Reasons For Low Maize Yield In Nigeria

1. Poor Soil Fertility.

Sometimes the soil gets depreciated due to the constant planting activities exerted on it. Other times the soil doesn’t only depreciate as a result of the planting activities but some infectious bacteria that affected the uprooted crops stuck to it.

When this depreciation occurs, the soil totally loses its essential macro and micronutrients such as Zinc, Iron, etc. which leads to low germination of crops.

That’s why in most cases farmers endeavors to apply fertilizers to the soil to enable the maize crop to yield properly.

2. Maize Pests And Diseases

Another factor that affects the successful yield of maize’s pests and diseases. The disease as already mentioned might be contained in the soil, hence when not treated prevents the maize crop from growing.

Then on the other hand, there are pests that loves feeding on maize crops like corn root worms, fireworks, white grub, cutworms, etc. When these pests feed on the maize crop it thus halts the germination of the crops or rather it grows unhealthy and unfit for consumption.

The best way to avoid such scenarios is to weed your farmland as and when due, that is, weed before planting and weed months after planting.

Furthermore, endeavor to plant your maize crops on time to prevent diseases attack, treat your maize seeds prior to planting, and plant varieties of maize seeds that are resilient to pest and disease attacks.

3. Bad Maize Seed

Maize seeds are categorized into two varieties, Open-pollinated varieties and hybrid varieties, examples include, Honey king F1, Golden bantam, Sugar King F1, etc. There are improved varieties among these maize seed types which are more resilient than the others.

To avoid planting of bad maize seeds, we recommend you buy seeds from certified seed companies and avoid planting infected leftover grains from already harvested grains.

How To Produce Maize In Nigeria

There are many processes that are required of farmers for producing maize plants in Nigeria.

Determine The Land And Soil Type

This is the first step that should be taken when planning on planting your maize seeds. Maize doesn’t grow well in waterlogged lands, areas brimming with trees, stumps, ant hills, and shaded regions. It blooms more on plain hills and the maize seeds should be planted first during crop rotation as it drains most of the soil nutrients especially when there are high yields on it.

Again, the maize seeds germinate in different soil types such as lush loamy soils, sandy loam soil, etc. However, it’s recommended you plant your seeds on deep, dark loamy soil as it leads to higher yield.

2. Land Preparation.

Preparing your farmland readies it for maize planting. This land preparation can be carried out mechanically, manually, or chemically. When done with the use of the machine, it’s important to ensure the least displacement of the topsoil so as to maintain high soil fertility.

Through this land clearing, the weeds retained in the soil will be uprooted and it’s recommended that the maize seeds are immediately planted to negate weeds from growing in the land.

If the farmland is cleared mechanically, planting maize shouldn’t exceed 2 inches.

3. Select The Different Maize Seed Varieties.

Maize has various varieties which you can select from. However, you should be conscious of the ones you select during the early planting season and the late planting season.

Examples of maize seeds to select during the early season are;

• Western yellow 1: TZSR 1.
• DMR-LSRY.
• 8425-8, 8329-15 (For yellow hybrid varieties)
• Examples of maize seeds to plant during late season is;
• TZESR-Y;
• DMR-ESRY, etc.

4. Seed Planting.

After you have gathered your maize seeds, dig small holes in your farmland and dip the seeds in it. You should note that your intra- planting spacing will be 20 or 25 cm while the inter-tow planting spacing should be at least 75 cm. This ensures your farmland has up to 55, 000 to 66,000 plants per hectare.

Farmers prefer to plant their maize seeds immediately they enter the wet season. Hence, they plant after good rainfall on the days they have schedule their planting activities. Sowing your seeds early helps to reduce cases of pests and diseases and enables the crops to absorb the nitrates discharged in the soil.

5. Use Of Irrigation System.

Although most Nigerian farmers plant their maize crops during the wet season that’s not to say that maize crops don’t survive under the irrigation system.

Adopting a good irrigation system will help the plants to grow. The best part?

The farmers don’t need to wait until it’s the wet season before they start planting.

Adopting these two types of irrigation will help in the germination of your seed.

• Sprinkler: rain guns sprinklers, center pivots, rain hoses, and spray tubes are mostly used by farmers to water their maize plants. More so, some of these sprinklers are affordable.
• Drip Irrigation. Applying this type of irrigation increases the yields of maize plants times two of what they should initially yield. This type of irrigation mainly wets the roots of your maize plants and doesn’t warrant waterlogging of your farmland.

6. Weed Control.

Controlling weeds after planting your maize seeds is very important and this can be done using herbicides such as Atrazine, lagon, Glyphosate, etc.

Also, couching your root zones with organic and plastic mulches helps to control the growth of weeds in your farmland. In addition, hoes, mechanical weeders, and cutlasses are good tools for uprooting weeds.

7. Application Of Fertilizers.

Although the soil where your maize crops are planted has nutrients, it’s also good to add fertilizers to the maize seeds as it’s a nutrient-craving plant. A hectare of this maize plant sometimes requires about 15 50kg bags of NPK fertilizers.  You can as well add some soil improver like manure, plant materials, etc. to facilitate the growth of your maize plant.

8. Harvesting.

Farmers detect that their maize plants are due for harvest when the silk of the plant turns brown. That is 50-70 days after cultivation. In cases where the grains are needed, the maize plant gets harvested immediately after the seeds are dry enough which takes about 80-110 days after the cultivation.

Farmers harvest their corn cobs by breaking them off from the plant by hand or rather they mowed entire plants down.

9. Marketing stage.

The post-harvest stage involves the shelling of the cobs, drying, and advertising. At this stage, the corn is being advertised in the markets, to brewers, bakers, and flour millers in need of the crop.

Conclusion On How To Produce Maize In Nigeria

Maize planting doesn’t consume time and energy as far as the farmer ensures all the necessities are provided and the seeds are in good shape before planting.

More so, maize is not a perennial crop which makes it easy for beginners to purchase land and join in the cultivation of the crop. Unlike other cereals, it only takes a few months to germinate.

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