Hybrid Maize Cultivated in 17 Bighas of Land in Dudhnoi, Assam

A CORRESPONDENT

DUDHNOI: In a first, cultivation of hybrid maize has been started in about 17 bighas of land in the campus of Krishi Vigyan Kendra for the first time under the initiative of Goalpara District Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Dudhnoi. These 4,750 varieties of hybrid maize trees produce livestock-friendly silage (livestock food).

"This maize is very good for preparing silage," Dr Haricharan Kalita, a scientist, and herbalist at the Dudhnoi Krishi Vigyan Kendra, said. He told media persons that the 4,750 species of hybrid maize were very tasty for livestock as they were low in lignin. The silage produced from these species of maize contains more energy, more nutrients, elements, minerals and proteins.

During floods, the silage is distributed among livestock. Benjamin Kaman, agricultural engineer at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, said that if anyone came forward to cultivate this maize with immense potential for business, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra would support them. Kaman reiterated that if the farmers of Assam cultivated this maize on a large-scale basis, then Assam would not have to buy fodder at a higher price.

Notably, the Jaunsar tribal area in Uttarakhand also in an effort to increase the overall productivity of maize in the hill region, ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora has developed several maize hybrids along with their package of practices. Among these, Vivek Maize Hybrid 45 is an early maturing (85-90 days) and high yielding (50-55 q per hectare) variety tolerant to Turcicum and Maydis Leaf Blight.

The plant height is 200-205 cm and it bears long cylindrical cobs with good husk cover. The grains of this variety are bold (average 1000-grain weight is 335 g), yellow in color, and semi-flint in texture. It has the 'stay-green trait' which makes the plant suitable for use as green fodder after harvesting of the mature cobs.

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