**4.7 Multiple cropping**

System in which >2 crops are cultivated in proper sequence on given piece of land during a year. Efficiency of the system is determined by a number of factors namely, manpower, choice of crop/cultivar, availability of irrigation facilities etc.

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

• Selecting short duration cultivars

• Minimum/no tillage etc. [7, 8].

lines of maize sown at 60 cm [8].

*4.7.2 Maize based cropping systems*

most appropriate maize based cropping systems [2, 8]:

• Cowpea/pearl millet/maize (fodder)

• Spring maize-basmati-wheat

• Maize/rice-potato-wheat

• Maize-potato/*toria*-sunflower

• Maize-wheat/celery-pearl millet fodder

• Maize/rice-*gobhi sarson*-summer greengram

• Maize-vegetable pea/potato-spring maize

• Maize-potato-sugarcane-wheat

• Maize-wheat-sugarcane

• Maize/rice-wheat

• Maize-potato-onion

• Maize-potato-mentha

intensive cropping:

*4.7.1 Intercropping*

• Nursery raising

technical competence, need based farm activities play a critical role in performance of multiple cropping. Following strategies can be adopted for successful adoption of

Maize crop can be cultivated along with other crops as intercrops for better utilization of resources, enhanced income per unit area and time basis. For instance, intercropping of 1 row of fodder cowpea or maize, groundnut and soybean in *kharif* maize sown in 60 cm × 20 cm crop geometry. Apply nutrients to maize as per recommendation and to intercrops on the basis of area under cultivation. Harvest fodder cowpea and maize at about 55 DAS. Furthermore, maize crop can also be cultivated as intercrop in *kharif* blackgram. In this system, maize may be intercropped at every fifth row in the 30 cm apart rows of mash crop. Soybean can be successfully intercropped with maize by sowing one line of soybean between two

Crops like wheat, paddy, potato, sugarcane, chickpea, berseem, barley, oats etc. can be grown successfully after harvest of maize crop. Following are some of the

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

technical competence, need based farm activities play a critical role in performance of multiple cropping. Following strategies can be adopted for successful adoption of intensive cropping:

• Nursery raising

*Maize - Production and Use*

mildew [7, 8].

**Figure 14.**

**4.6 Harvesting**

**4.7 Multiple cropping**

improved varieties for its control [7, 8].

*Maize crop attacked by brown stripe downy mildew.*

• Proper drainage of the fields.

young cob when the silk is near emergence [6].

favors the development of disease. Destroy the infected crop residue in the field. Grow improved varieties. Follow spray schedule as against Brown stripe downy

**Bacterial stalk rot**: Characterized by water soaked appearance and rotting of stem at basal portion causing loss of green color and gives scortching appearance. Rotting of stem results in emitting of foul odor and breakage at 2nd/3rd basal internodes. Excessive rains and poor drainage favors the disease. The infected plants wilt. Destroy the diseased plant debris, keep the fields well drained and use

**Brown stripe downy mildew**: Presence of long, brown colored, interveinal stripes on leaves (**Figure 14**), which if critically watched, have white cottony fungal growth on the lower side of leaves. Whitish downy fungal growth may be observed on close examination on underside of the stripes. Control measures can be as follow:

• Spray mancozeb @ 500 g/ha in 250 L of water after about a fortnight of sowing. Give two more sprays at 10-day intervals. Grow recommended varieties [7, 8, 11].

For use as grain, cobs should be harvested when grains are at about 20% moisture. Whereas to consume as sweet corn, harvesting should be done when tassel starts turning brown and swelling of cob initiates. In case of baby corn, harvest

System in which >2 crops are cultivated in proper sequence on given piece of land during a year. Efficiency of the system is determined by a number of factors namely, manpower, choice of crop/cultivar, availability of irrigation facilities etc.

• Removal of secondary host, that is, *Digitaria sanguinalis*.

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