 Do you want to learn how to grow maize more sustainably? To get started, select the best maize variety and create a crop calendar for next season with extension officers in your area. Buy certified seeds accessible at the Agro Dealer recommended by the Agri Business Hubs. The right varieties match local climate and are adapted to low soil fertility. For commercial production, use hybrid varieties that have high yield and are disease tolerant. You can still use open pollinated local variety. These are often tastier and easier to store due to their hard grains. In high rainfall areas, agricultural Region 3 use late maturity varieties planted at the beginning of the rainy season between 1st and 30th November. Use medium maturity varieties between 1st and 25th December. Use early maturity varieties from 25th December to 5th January. In medium rainfall areas, Agro Ecological Region 2a and Agro Ecological Region 2b. If you only have late maturity varieties, plant them very early before 20th November. Use medium maturity varieties between 20th November to 15th December. Use early maturity varieties between 15th to 25th December. In low rainfall areas, Agro Ecological Region 1. Use early maturity varieties at the beginning of the rainy season between 15th November to 15th December. Planting before rainy season is risky. Too little rainfall, poor soil moisture will lead to poor germination and loss of seed. Every three to four years, test soil acidity and magnesium through the help of extension officers three to six months before planting. This test is especially important in high rainfall areas where soils are naturally acidic. To make sure your soil restores a pH of 5.5 to 7. Apply lime three weeks before planting. A field with plenty of crop residues will help the soil to stay in place. You'll need to clean water and become more fertile. In order to achieve the benefits of crop residue retention, discuss with your community and make resolutions to improve crop residue management and control grazing. Further to crop residue retention, use of cover crops, agro forestry and livestock manure can all contribute towards improved soil fertility and the sustainable production of maize. Solutions from extension officers, project staff and or the agribusiness hubs on suppliers can help you access the right equipment to manage your needs. Based on your farm size and available resources, field extension officers recommend the best mechanization systems for you. For best yields, consider planting death, density and spacing. In good rainfall areas with fertile soils and proper nutrient management, aim for 4 to 5 plants per square meter, 44,255,000 plants per hectare. In areas with low rainfall and or limited application of nutrients, aim for 3 to 4 plants per square meter, 33,000 to 40,000 plants per hectare. Choosing the distance between plants depends on the equipment and the amount of labor available. Here is a maize spacing guide. Here is a fertilizer and manure compost application rate guide. If you are using a jab planter, plant 1 seed per station for optimum yield. Limited labor, plant up to 3 seeds in the same station. If you are using furrow planting, plant each seed at equal distance. Check the field regularly until week 6. If there are weeds, lightly scratch the surface with a hand hoe, hand weeder or a cultivator. If you want to use herbicides, you must be trained on how to select nozzles and calibrate sprayers by qualified staff. You can receive more information from extension officers and the hub. If you are using chemical fertilizer 4 weeks after planting, apply urea 20 centimeters away from the plant. Covering the urea with soil will help reduce nitrogen loss from volatilization in dry weather and runoff during heavy rain. Where possible, the top dressing should be combined with weeding, either using a hoe or cultivator. If you are using minimum tillage practices, use spot application and cover the area with a hoe or make a 10 centimeter deep hole with a stick. Place the urea in the hole and cover. Loam soil, apply all the urea at week 4. Sandy soil, apply half of the urea at week 4 and apply the rest at week 7. Harvest can be done by hand or you can ask the hub where services are available. Find out more about FAO's approach to climate smart crop production.