Skip to content

Maize fodder (green corn)

Fodder maize is a short-duration green-fodder crop harvested at the silking-to-milk stage, valued in Indian dairying for high biomass, palatability and a substantial starch fraction that supports milk production. It is grown either as a standalone fodder cut or as the raw material for silage, which has become the central plank of ICAR-IIMR Ludhiana's silage initiative for northern India.

Key characteristics

  • Crop duration: 60-70 days from sowing to harvest at the green-fodder stage.
  • Recommended composite: African Tall and other tall-growing single-cut composites; modern fodder-and-silage hybrids are also released by ICAR-IIMR and private breeders.
  • Green-fodder yield: 160-200 quintals per acre (about 40-50 t/ha) in kharif and 100-120 q/acre in summer under irrigation.
  • Nutritive value: 7-10% crude protein, ~30% dry matter, moderate fibre, high starch and energy at the milk stage.

Cultivation

Sowing is done at 20-25 kg/acre seed rate in rows 30 cm apart, with one or two irrigations on light soils and a basal nitrogen dose followed by a top dressing 30 days after sowing. The crop is harvested at the silking-to-milk stage when sugar accumulation in the cob and stem is highest; harvesting earlier reduces yield and dry-matter content, while later harvest lowers digestibility. Maize fodder is typically sown year-round in irrigated tracts to stagger green-fodder supply. Multi-cut fodder maize types are available but single-cut composites dominate in commercial dairy belts.

Pest and disease profile

The crop is susceptible to fall armyworm, stem borer and turcicum leaf blight; well-timed cuts and integrated pest management generally keep losses manageable on a short-duration fodder cycle.

Adoption and use

Maize fodder is fed chopped, fresh or as silage. ICAR-IIMR trials in north-western India report a 15% gain in fodder yield over older systems and a 10-20% improvement in milk yield when silage feeding is adopted in HF crossbred (Holstein Friesian Crossbred Cow), Jersey crossbred (Jersey Crossbred Cow) and Murrah buffalo (Murrah Buffalo) herds. Maize fodder pairs in mixed cropping with hybrid Napier (Bullet Napier And Hybrids) or super-Napier (Super Napier Fodder) as the year-round biomass backbone and with hedge lucerne (Hedge Lucerne Velimasal) for protein balance, reducing concentrate dependence (Concentrate Feed Mix Dairy).

See also: Concentrate Feed Mix Dairy.

References

  1. Fodder Maize. TNAU Agritech Portal.
  2. Maize Silage Revolution. ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research.