Page 22 - Agriculture_Form_3

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

Chapter

Two Maize production

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Introduction

In this chapter, you will learn the principles and practices of producing maize
crop, including planning, site selection, land preparation, variety selection and
sowing. You will also learn the management of soil water and nutrients, weeds,
pests and diseases, harvesting and postharvest handling, as well as marketing.
The competencies developed will enable you to produce maize effectively and
efficiently for food and income generation.

Think

The king of the food basket

Maize crop and its importance

Maize (Zea mays), also known as corn, is a monocotyledonous plant. It is the
most widely cultivated staple crop that plays a key role in food security in sub-
Saharan Africa. It is an annual crop that grows and reaches maturity within one
growing season. In areas with bimodal rainfall, the crop can be grown twice a
year. Morphologically, it is usually a single stem with male and female flowers
borne on separate inflorescences, but on the same plant. The maize plant has a
fibrous root system. Figure 2.1 (a) shows a section of a maize field, while Figures
2.1 (b) and (c) show maize plants with cobs bearing white and yellow grains,
respectively.

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