Information on state recommendations:
Disease management:
Leaf blight (Exserohilum turcicum), late wilt (Cephalosporium maydis): One to two sprayings of Mancozeb @ 2.5 g/l or Dithane Z-78@ 3 g/l at 7-10 days interval starting from knee high stage of the crop controls the leaf blight. and charcoal rot (Macrophomina phaseolina).
Banded leaf and sheath blight: Stripping of the affected bottom 2-3 leaves along with their sheath and spraying of Propiconazole @ 1 ml/l is recommended.
Late wilt & charcoal rot: Crop rotation, removing plant debris, summer ploughing, avoiding moisture stress after flowering and growing tolerant hybrids should be followed.
Pest management:
Stem borer: Spotted stem borer (Chilo partellus) during kharif and Pink stem borer (Sesamia inferens) during rabi season infests the crop.The borers cause dead hearts in early stage of crop. The pest incidence is recognized by the presence of shot holes in the leaf blades as well as exit holes on the stem.To control the pest, prophylactic spraying of monocrotophos 36 SC @ 1.6 ml/l when the crop is 10-12 days old and or application of carbofuran 3 G in leaf whorls @ 3 kg/ac is recommended when the crop is 25-30 days old.
Fall Army worm (Spodoptera frugiperda): Application of 5% neem seed kernel extract (NSKE) or azadirachtin 1500 ppm 5ml/l (1 litre/acre) of water when 5% infestation is observed. Whorl application of any one of the insecticides are recommended when the infestation is abov2 20% – Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC (80 ml/acre) @ 0.4 ml/litre; Thiamethoxam 12.60%+Lambda cyhalothrin 95%ZC (50m1/acre) @0.25 ml/litre, Spinetoram 11.17% SC (100m1/acre) @ 0.5 ml/litre; Emamectin benzoate 5% SG (809/acre) @ 0.49/litre. Whorl application of Bacillus thuringiensis @ 2gllitre or Metarhizium anisopliae or Beauveria bassiana (1kg/acre) @ 5g/litre are recommended under biological control.
Aphids: Spraying of Dimethoate 30EC @ 2ml/l or Monocrotophos 36SC @ 1.6ml/l.
Agronomic recommendations:
Sowing: kharif: June 15 to July 15; rabi: October 15th to November 15th in Rayalseema districts and up to January 1st week in coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh.
Seed Rate: 7-8 kg per acre for normal hybrids, 3-4 kg per acre for sweet corn, 5 kg per acre for pop corn and 10 kg per acre for baby corn.
Spacing: A spacing of 60 cm x 20 cm and 75cm x 20 cm spacing can also be taken up where the intercultivation operations are attended by tractor drawn for all the hybrids and speciality corns except baby corn (45 cm x 20 cm).
Method of Sowing: Sowing on sides of ridges at a distance of 1/3rd from top facilitates irrigation as well as drainage. Excess seedlings should be thinned 10 days after emergence to have single seedling per hill.
Fertilizers: kharif: 60-80 kg N, 24 kg P2O5, 20 kg K2O per acre is recommended. Nitrogen may be applied in three splits i.e., at sowing, knee high stage and at flowering stages; rabi: 80-100 kg N, 32 kg P2O5, 32 kg K2O per acre is recommended. Nitrogen may be applied in four splits viz., at sowing, knee high stage (30-35 DAS), at flag leaf emergence (50-55 DAS) and at tasseling-silking stage (60-65 DAS). In both seasons, 20 kg of commercial Zinc Sulphate per acre may be applied if soils are known to be deficient in available zinc. If symptoms appear later, the crop can be sprayed with 2g/l solution of Zinc Sulphate.
Weed Management: Pre-emergence spraying with atrazine (Atrataf) 50W.P. @ 800 -1200 g/ac depending on soil type and at 30 days after sowing, spraying of 2,4-D Sodium salt 80 WP @ 0.5 kg a.i/ac in 200 litres of water for the control most of broad leaved weeds.