Cultivating Hybrid Maize for Animal Fodder by Mrs Poongodai

Smt. Poongodai (43) studied upto 5th standard and she is a small farmer living in Maadampalayam village in Erode District. She along with her husband Mr. Murugesan (55) studied upto 5th standard is looking after 1.5 acre of garden land irrigated through open well. Based on the advice of Smt. Poongodai the cropping pattern is being desired and her husband cooperates. Earlier she was getting good income by growing Amaranthus (green vegetable), coriander and selling to the whole sale agent. For the last two years it is shifted to cultivation of hybrid maize for fodder purpose instead of grains. The family does not own any animal. However maize is harvested as fodder before earhead stage and sold to other villagers having cattle and sheep. The details of growing hybrid maize for fodder purpose is briefed below.

Sowing of maize for fodder:

Maize seeds (hybrid maize seeds procured from Cauvery Seed Company) are purchased from seed sellers /dealers and it is sown as pure crop with seed rate of 20 kg per acre. Maize for grain purpose is 3 months old crop. From the date of planting it will be harvested before 20 days of normal harvest (for grain purpose). The maize crop is much palatable when it is 70 days old and during that time the grains are in the early stage of formation with milk content. It will be ideal if it is harvested for fodder purpose between 65 – 75 days. Maize seeds are planted at 6 inches spacing with rows at 1 ft interval. It will be irrigated at about weekly interval. Usually weeding and spray of pesticide will be undertaken after planting.

Leasing of fodder plots to livestock keepers:

The land is conveniently divided into small plots of about one cent each (one siragu). This about 400 square feet. When the maize attained about one month then it will be leased to farmers for harvest purpose and lease fee will be around Rs. 1000/- to Rs. 1500/- per cent. Farmers can harvest maize at anytime as per their requirements for feeding their cattle. They may harvest daily or 3 – 5 days interval depending upon their fodder requirements.

Increased milk yield by feeding with green fodder:

When maize is harvested at the milky stage of grains then it will be relished by cattle very much. Usually it takes about 70 days from the date of planting of seeds in the field. It will be usually fed to cattle at about 10 kg per day per adult cow. Farmers say that about minimum 1 litre of additional milk yield is usually recorded when it is fed with maize fodder. Therefore there is good demand for such fodder from the livestock keepers and it is being capitalized by Smt. Poongodai.

Income from maize crop:

By growing maize exclusively as green fodder is giving more income instead of harvesting for grain purpose. She is deriving net income of Rs. 20,000/- or more from 1.5 acre of land from one crop. She is feeling that it is a good venture and for fodder there is a good demand in nearby villages. She spends about Rs.1000/- for seeds and Rs. 5000/- for weeding and spraying of chemicals for control of maize stem borer pest during summer months. The villages come to their farm and cut the fodder by themselves and therefore she is getting ready cash money without any problem. She is relieved from marketing of maize grains.

Address of the farmer:

Smt. PoongothaiW/o M.N. MurugesanSolavana thottamMaadampalayamPuliyampatti via Sathyamangalam TalukErode DistrictCell: 8012265472 Documented by :P.Vivekanandan, SEVA Acknowledgement : We acknowledge the support of National Innovation Foundation, AhmadabadDocumented during 2014