Maize

Maize is one of the most important Cereal Crops in the world. It is next to Rice, Wheat and Jowar in respect of Area and Production in India. The importance of Corn is due to it’s wide diversity of uses. It is used both as food for human and feed for animals.

Corn is nearly directly consumed as feed and as an edible table vegetable. Green cobs are roasted and eaten by people with great interest. Corn is converted in to a variety of foods such as popped snack food and staple alkali-cooked “Mexican” foods.

It is also fractionated by either dry or wet milling into food and industrial ingredients. The starch, the major constituent of the corn kernel, is used in its native form or after chemical or enzymatic modification, in foods and industrial products.

The starch is also converted into glucose or fructose for use as food sweetness. Glucose can be fermented in to ethanol for fuel or beverages or into many other chemicals.

Central America and Mexico where many diverse types of maize are found are considered to be the primary center of origin. It’s production in India probably occurred about the beginning of the seventeenth century, during the early days of the East India Company.

Major Maize Producing Countries

U.S.A, China, Brazil, Mexico, India, Nigeria, Indonesia, South Africa, Romania and Argentina

Major Maize producing states in India

Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and West Bengal

Important varieties of Maize grown in India

Andhra Pradesh

Ashwini, Harsha, DHM-15, Varun, DHM-103, Trashulata, Amber, Popocorn, Madhuri.

Assam

Vijay, Navjot, NLD, Kishan, Ganga-5, Rajendra, Macca-1.

Bihar

Vijay composite, Ganga white-2, Ganga-5, Rajenndra HYV, Diyara Composite

Gujarat

Gujarat Maize-1, Gujarat Maize-2, Gujarat Maize-3, Gujaratsafed-2, Ageti-6, Ganga-5.

Himachal Pradesh

Early Composite, Paravati, Naveen Composite, Him 123, Sartaj, Popcorn.

Jammu & Kashmir

Maize GS-2, HIM 123, Apna Makka, Pioneer Series, Kanchan series, Navjot, Mansor, C-6, C-8, C-15.

Karnataka

Agsun-126, AP-407, AB 2001-2002,Deccan 103, CMH6644, Ganga –11, MMH 3816, VMH-108, Laxmi-4950, Vijay, INH-666, Kanaka, Swarna, VMH-869, G.K.Series, MH Series, VMH Series, Kaveri Series, Pioner.

Madhya Pradesh

Ganga (White)-2, Ganga 5 & 11, Macca-101, 103. M.D.II, M-103&105, Chandan M-3, Navjot, Pusha 2, Mopset, Surya-11, Jawahar Maize-81

Maharashtra

MSSC-1100

Orissa

Bijay, Ganga-1, Ganga-5, Ganga-101,Kishan,Vikaram.

Punjab

F-9572-A,Paras,Prabhat,Kesari,Punjab Sathi

Tamil Nadu

K1, K2, Col, COH-I, COH-2 ,COH(M)4, Ganga-5, DECCAN, COBC1.

Uttar Pradesh

Ganga-2, Ganga-11, Tarun, Naveen, Kanchan, Sweta, D765, Surya, Azad, Utlam, Nav Jyoti, Mahi Kanchan, Meerut Pili, Jaunpuri, Sartaz, Prakash, Dacan, Prabhat, Gaurav.

West Bengal

Bijay, Ganga-2, Ganga-5, Ganga-101, kishan, Vikaram.