*4.1.6 Method of planting*

Although crop establishment is a series of events that depends on interactions of seed, soil moisture, method of sowing, machinery etc. but method of planting plays an important role in establishment of crop under given set of conditions. Maize is mainly sown directly through seed by using different methods of tillage & establishment. Recently, resource conservation technologies (RCTs) namely, zero tillage, minimum tillage, surface seeding etc. had came in practice in various maize based cropping system and are cost effective and environment friendly. Following are major planting methods that vary from situation to situation.

#### *4.1.7 Zero tillage*

Maize crop can be cultivated without any primary tillage under no-till (**Figure 1**) with decreased cost of cultivation and better resource use efficiency. In this situation, maintenance of proper soil moisture at sowing and band placement of seed and fertilizers with zero-till seed-cum-fertilizer planter with furrow opener as per the soil texture and field conditions is pre-requisite. The technology is followed by large number of farmers especially under rice-maize and maize-wheat systems in peninssular and eastern India. If the field is infested with weeds, farmers can go for foliar spray of gramoxone 24 SL (paraquat) @ 1250 ml/ha about 24 hours before planting of maize crop [2, 7, 8].

#### *4.1.8 Ridge/raised bed planting*

This planting method (**Figure 2**) is considered best for cultivation during monsoon and winter seasons both under excess and limited water availability conditions. On non-uniform lands, this method is most suitable for successful cultivation of maize crop. Planting of crop needs to be done on the southern side of the east–west ridges/beds for better exposure to sunlight during winters and better crop stand. Raised bed planter having inclined plate, cupping or roller type seed dropping system should be used for planting that facilitates proper placement of seed and fertilizers in single operation for having good crop stand, higher productivity and resource use efficiency. Irrigation water can be saved to the tune of

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moisture stress [2, 5, 7, 8].

*4.1.9 Flat sowing*

*Flat sowing of maize crop.*

**Figure 1.**

**Figure 2.**

**Figure 3.**

*Planting of maize crop on the ridges.*

*Maize crop sown under zero tillage system.*

20–30%. Under temporary excess soil moisture/water logging due to heavy rains, the furrows will act as drainage channels and crop can be saved from excess soil

Maize crop can be cultivated by conventional tillage flat planting (**Figure 3**) depending upon soil type and availability of irrigation facilities. Light soils have high

*Improved Technologies for Higher Maize Production DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.88997*

*Improved Technologies for Higher Maize Production DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.88997*

#### **Figure 1.**

*Maize - Production and Use*

*4.1.5 Crop geometry*

**Table 5.**

60–65 days after germination [9].

*Crop geometry of maize to be followed as per requirement.*

*4.1.6 Method of planting*

*4.1.7 Zero tillage*

planting of maize crop [2, 7, 8].

*4.1.8 Ridge/raised bed planting*

Crop geometry has direct effect on inter and intra-plant competition in field crops. Maize crop can be planted in varied crop geometries (**Table 5**) depending upon the purpose of cultivation [2, 8]. Interculture operations like thinning, gap filling and earthing-up play critical role in performance of maize crop. Thinning needs to be performed about 10 days after germination to keep 1 plant/ hill. Further, 2 earthing-ups are required in maize crop. First at 35–40 and 2nd at

Although crop establishment is a series of events that depends on interactions of seed, soil moisture, method of sowing, machinery etc. but method of planting plays an important role in establishment of crop under given set of conditions. Maize is mainly sown directly through seed by using different methods of tillage & establishment. Recently, resource conservation technologies (RCTs) namely, zero tillage, minimum tillage, surface seeding etc. had came in practice in various maize based cropping system and are cost effective and environment friendly. Following

Maize crop can be cultivated without any primary tillage under no-till (**Figure 1**) with decreased cost of cultivation and better resource use efficiency. In this situation, maintenance of proper soil moisture at sowing and band placement of seed and fertilizers with zero-till seed-cum-fertilizer planter with furrow opener as per the soil texture and field conditions is pre-requisite. The technology is followed by large number of farmers especially under rice-maize and maize-wheat systems in peninssular and eastern India. If the field is infested with weeds, farmers can go for foliar spray of gramoxone 24 SL (paraquat) @ 1250 ml/ha about 24 hours before

This planting method (**Figure 2**) is considered best for cultivation during monsoon and winter seasons both under excess and limited water availability conditions. On non-uniform lands, this method is most suitable for successful cultivation of maize crop. Planting of crop needs to be done on the southern side of the east–west ridges/beds for better exposure to sunlight during winters and better crop stand. Raised bed planter having inclined plate, cupping or roller type seed dropping system should be used for planting that facilitates proper placement of seed and fertilizers in single operation for having good crop stand, higher productivity and resource use efficiency. Irrigation water can be saved to the tune of

are major planting methods that vary from situation to situation.

**Purpose Crop geometry** Grain crop 60 cm × 20 cm; 75 cm × 20 cm Baby corn 30 cm × 20 cm; 60 cm × 15 cm Fodder 30 cm × 10 cm

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*Maize crop sown under zero tillage system.*

#### **Figure 2.** *Planting of maize crop on the ridges.*

**Figure 3.** *Flat sowing of maize crop.*

20–30%. Under temporary excess soil moisture/water logging due to heavy rains, the furrows will act as drainage channels and crop can be saved from excess soil moisture stress [2, 5, 7, 8].

## *4.1.9 Flat sowing*

Maize crop can be cultivated by conventional tillage flat planting (**Figure 3**) depending upon soil type and availability of irrigation facilities. Light soils have high

#### **Figure 4.**

*Maize crop establishment through transplanting system.*

infiltration rate and low water holding capacity, so farmers can go for flat planting of maize crop. Under rainfed conditions, to have better moisture availability to crop for longer period, flat planting becomes better alternate. Flat planting is also beneficial when no tillage system gets infested with high weed population and chemical/ manual weed control becomes non-economical [7, 8].
