Good agricultural practices for

better maize

This leaflet was produced in August 2013 for farmers in Western Kenya. It is a product of the Agrium Project under the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI). It is available for download from the IPNI website. It is also Creative Commons material on the Africa Soil Health Consortium (ASHC) website, and can be reproduced and re-used without permission - provided ASHC is credited. The content was developed by International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI).

For more information, contact your extension officer or: International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) email: snjoroge@ipni.net

Working in partnership to create down-to-earth messages on integrated soil fertility management

Guidelines for Western Kenya

Planting• Prepare holes about 5 cm deep at a spacing of 75 cm between rows and 25 cm

between holes. Good spacing helps better crop growth, makes it easier to weed and reduces the spread of pests and diseases.

• Apply the right fertilizer at planting to ensure the maize has nutrients aftergerminating. Put the fertilizer in the planting holes and cover with a little soil to avoid contact with the seeds - this may lead to scorching of the seeds

• Place one seed per hole and cover the hole with soil.

Management

• Protect the farm from attack by rodents and birds using local methods.

• At 10 days after planting, check for any empty holes and plant a seed in them.

• Continuously check for pest and disease attack. If identified, seek advice from extension officers or agro dealers.

• Weed entire field at three weeks after emergence. Shake off soil from the weed roots so that the weeds do not grow again.

• The right time to applying topdressing fertilizer is immediately after the first weeding. Use a third of the nitrogen supplying fertilizer (urea or CAN) by applying small amounts around each plant and covering with soil. This should be done when the soil is moist so that fertilizer uptake can be efficient.

• Harvest maize as soon as it is dry. Delayed harvesting will lead to withering and falling of the cobs and attract birds, insects, and diseases.

Land preparation and seed selection• Start field preparation 2 to 3 weeks before the start of the rainy season. First clear

bushes and stumps

• Till uniformly to a depth of 20 – 30 cm using manual hand tillage, ox-drawn ploughs or tractors. Tilling helps to control weeds, kill insects and other pests, and also makes it easier to apply manure and plant.

• Use improved seed varieties instead of recycling old grain. Improved seed give good yields and help the maize to resist diseases.

• Read the information on the maize packet to know the emergence rate, expiry date, and

the area where the maize is to be grown.

• Using the right seeds ensures good germination.

• You will need 10 kg of maize per acre (25 kg per hectare).

Applying fertilizer

• Maize needs enough nitrogen and phosphorus. For sandy soils or where soil analysis has shown low levels of potassium, potassium may also be needed.

• At planting, fertilizers such as NPK and DAP should be used.

• For topdressing, nitrogen supplying fertilizers such as urea and CAN should be used. To supply nitrogen, apply the fertilizer in three equal splits - at planting, at 3 weeks after emergence, and at 6 weeks after emergence.

• Apply the right amount of fertilizer to get the desired yields. The right fertilizer rate is determined by the target yield and the nutrient concentration of the fertilizer

Current yield

Target yield Nutrient rates kg/ha DAP fertilizer at

planting kg/ha First topdressing Second topdressing

N P K Urea kg/ha CAN kg/ha Urea kg/ha CAN kg/ha

1 t/ha 2 t/ha 30 10 20 60 20 40 20 40

1 t/ha 3 t/ha 60 20 40 120 40 80 40 80

1 t/ha 4 t/ha 90 30 60 180 60 120 60 120

1 t/ha 5 t/ha 120 40 80 240 80 160 80 160

NOTE: K should only be applied on sandy soils or soils low in or lacking potassium