**2.3 Maize (***Zea mays* **L.)**

Maize, indigenous to the Americas and staple in South and Central America and Southern Africa, occupied the second position both in area and production and mainly used for animal and poultry feed industries in Bangladesh. It was an insignificant crop, still reported as a minor cereal in Bangladesh perspective [4], and a little development was observed until 2000. Then the area started increasing progressively while the total production increased quite significantly (**Figure 3**). Maize is now cultivated in both Rabi (Winter; Mid-October to Mid-March) and Kharif-1 (Early monsoon; Mid-March to Mid-July) seasons, and area and production of maize increased considerably. Now, it secured second position pushing wheat to third. In 1971–1972, the coverage and total production were 0.0028 m ha and 0.002 m t respectively which increased to 0.445 m ha to produce 3.569 m t in 2019 (**Figure 3**). The corresponding increments in percentages were *ca*. 16,000 and 180,000, respectively. The phenomenal rise in area and production of maize was mainly due to the favorable environment for higher productivity and a stable and expanding market as feed for the poultry and livestock. From 2010 to 2019, maize production increased at an average annual rate of 11.40%, with some wheat producers switching to the cultivation of maize [9]. Since maize is used mostly as poultry feed, the substitution of the wheat-growing area by maize hampered the supply of staple food for people and has put more pressure on other cereals (i.e., rice) to meet the growing food grain demand. And a substantial increase in wheat import is observed to meet up the local demand [3]. So far, 26 maize cultivars have been released by BARI (**Table 7**); and 92 maize accessions are conserved at the PGRC, BARI [18]. A total of forty-three maize-based cropping patterns were listed for Bangladesh [7]. The most dominant cropping pattern with maize was Maize-Fallow-T. Aman, which occupied 1.18% of the net cropped area. Maize-based cropping patterns altogether covered 3.85% of the net cropped area [7].

**Figure 3.** *Area coverage and production trend of maize. Source: BBS [4, 14].*


**Table 7.**

*Modern maize cultivars developed by Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute.*
