Zambia Agribusiness Society

Our maize field has started tasselling already. This maize field was started up by irrigation and the rains have supplemented it. Seen in the pictures is a late maturity maize field. Below is a brief guide: 1. Seed Requirement per Hectare 20 - 25kg of seed is required to cover a hectare. 2. Spacing Between the line 75cm - 90cm. Between the plants 20cm. Depth 3cm - 5cm. 3. Fertilization Basal-dressing: D-compound is applied at time of planting. 4 x 50kg bags per hectare. Top-dressing: Urea is applied when the plants are about 30cm or knee level. 4 x 50kg minimum. Urea is the source of nitrogen for maize. 4 bags of urea is the minimum to apply per ha. However, we apply more by doing a second dose as maize responds positively to nitrogen. This gives us better yields. 4. Weed Management Pre-emergence weed control: Apply your weed control chemicals immediately after planting. Spray within 3 days of planting. 5. Insect Management Very Crucial The

This is just a guide for farmers who want to get the full yield potential of maize seed varieties. Seed companies will always say their varieties have a potential yield of 8 – 12ton/ha but this tonnage is mostly achieved by commercial farmers while small-scale farmers only achieve 2 – 3ton/ha which is just peanuts for a variety that has a yielding capacity of 8 – 12ton/ha. In order to achieve this yield potential farmers need to make sure that in their production they don’t exclude the aspect of crop protection (Agro chemicals) and nutrition (i.e. fertilizer). Below is a guide on good maize management. Take note that this write up is based on 1 hectare and the prices attached are subject to change depending on the time of purchase. 1. Seed              Maize seed has a lot of varieties on the market, contact Seed Companies for the best variety to plant in your area. Few recommended medium varieties which are usually more stable (yield wise) to plant, e.g. Seedco 637, DK 777 and