HT Bureau
DIPHU, Oct. 16: The Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART) in collaboration with
the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Indian Maize Research Institute, Ludhiana, Punjab (ICAR-
IIMR) organized a day long training programme on maize cultivation at the conference hall of the
district agriculture office in Diphu on Monday.
Maize expert, Ghanashyam Puri conducted the programme whereas assistant director of Agriculture
Horticulture (Hills), Pabon Boro inaugurated the training programme.
The state agriculture department has been organizing various training programmes and workshops on
maize cultivation in various places of the state. Initiatives to boost the production of maize in Karbi
Anglong will be implemented.
Senior Scientist, ICAR-IIMR, New Delhi, Shankar Lal Jat and scientist IIMR, Ludhiana, Roman Sharma
were the resource persons.
SL Jat said, “Karbi Anglong is one among 12 other places of Assam which has been selected for the
training programme where maize can be sowed and harvested in any time in a year. With proper seed
bed, irrigation and drainage system maize can be cultivated for Kharif and Rabi season. It is also
recommended for sowing in zero tillage condition in maize-wheat-mungbean system.”
It’s worthwhile to mention that the demand of maize has been increasing day by day primarily due to
increasingly popular and foods like cornflakes, baby food, animal feed, fish feed etc.
The state government with the help of the Indian Maize Research Institute has taken the initiative to
encourage farmers to increase maize production with scientific methods and increase the crop coverage
on land. It is interesting to note that maize is an industrial-food crop and it plays a crucial role in the
sustainability of feed, starch and bio-ethanol. Maize cultivation, besides supporting the agricultural
sector can also contribute to the overall economic growth and nutritional security of the state.
Maize recently has seen improvements in producing hybrid varieties for both the Kharif (monsoon) and
Rabi (Winter) seasons, fully mechanized cultivation, post-emergence herbicides used in weed
management. Maize silage has emerged as a valuable feed option for livestock, while maize offers high
lysine and tryptophan content and pro-vitamin A.
The demand for hybrid maize seed production in the region amounts to approximately 5500 tons.
Recently, the government has approved bio-ethanol from maize feedstock ,which will require over 14
million tons of maize by 2025-26.
The scientists from IIMR trained the AEAs and officials concerned on maize cultivation. The training
programme was attended by more than 30 officials including AEAs, APART members, Moyuri Kakoty
(Media Expert) and others from Karbi Anglong district.
