Advanced variety, technology in sweet corn cultivation

Maize is the main crop grown under jhum cultivation in the Lushai hills of Mizoram. However, most of the varieties of maize here are low yielding and late maturing. The farmers here were not able to take advantage of the high yielding hybrid varieties of maize. But an initiative by ICAR changed the lives of farmers living in Lushai, Mizoram.

Sweet corn cultivation started in 2018 

ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research, Ludhiana, Punjab, in collaboration with ICAR-Research Complex, Umiam, Meghalaya, launched a project titled ‘Promoting Advanced Technology of Maize Production in the North Eastern Region’. Under the programme, farmers practicing both jhum (rainfed) and permanent agriculture (in lowlands during rabi season) were given information. Farmers started cultivating sweet corn on the advice of agricultural scientists. Due to the cultivation of sweet corn on a large scale, a good increase in the annual income of the farmers has been registered.

Successful cultivation of sweet corn 

Under the project, Jonunsangi of Tuichhuahen village in Kolasib district of Mizoram successfully cultivated sweet corn under slash and burn agriculture on hill slopes during the pre-kharif season without the use of any fertilizers and pesticides. Inspired by his success, farmers in the lower valley areas near the village also started cultivating rabi sweet corn in the rice fallow. It started in 2018 and gradually its area kept increasing. It has increased by 29.3 percent in the last two years.

A farmer named Vanlalrui also switched from French beans and kidney beans to sweet corn and is now a successful sweet corn producer in his village. He cultivates it on a large scale on a commercial scale.

Leave the cultivation of vegetables and start growing sweet corn 

Vanalalharita switched from his traditional rabi crop of mustard to sweet corn and avoids using any kind of chemical fertilizers or pesticides in his field. He did five sowings of sweet corn from September 2019 to January 2020. Two models of sweet corn cultivation were established. First on commercial scale and second for small scale farmers for organic sweet corn cultivation.

Vanlalharita used multiple sowing windows to cultivate sweet corn, which earned her 20.6 percent more than Vanlalrui, who used a single sowing window.

How much the income of the farmers increased 

During 2019-20, Jonunsangi earned 110.3% more from sweet corn cultivation than from his traditional cultivation of local sticky mimban lines in previous years.

The sweet corn growers of Mizoram did not suffer loss, but got good price even during the Covid lockdown. This shows that there is immense potential in the area.

Contact us – If farmers want to share any valuable information or experiences related to farming, they can connect with us via phone or whatsapp at 9599273766 or you can write to us at “[email protected]”. Through Kisan of India, we will convey your message to the people, because we believe that if the farmers are advanced then the country is happy.

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