नेपालमा मकै खेती: सम्पूर्ण गाइड

मकै (Zea mays) — नेपालीमा मकै — धान पछि नेपालको दोस्रो सबभन्दा महत्त्वपूर्ण अन्नबाली हो। तराईको समथर भूमिदेखि २,००० मिटर उचाइसम्मका मध्यपहाडी खेतहरूमा उत्पादन गरिने यो बाली नेपालको भौगोलिक दृष्टिकोणबाट सबभन्दा बहुमुखी बाली हो। मकैले परिवार खुवाउँछ, कुखुरापालन उद्योगलाई ऊर्जा दिन्छ र नेपालका ७७ जिल्लामा डेढ मिलियनभन्दा बढी कृषक परिवारको आय दिन्छ।

मकैले नेपालमा करिब ९ लाख हेक्टर जमिन ओगट्छ — धान पछि दोस्रो। राष्ट्रिय औसत उत्पादन करिब २.६ टन/हे. छ, तर सिँचित तराई खेतमा सुधारिएका जात र राम्रो व्यवस्थापनले ७–१० टन/हे. सम्म उत्पादन गर्न सकिन्छ।

Maize occupies approximately 900,000 hectares in Nepal — second only to rice. Average yield is around 2.6 t/ha nationally, though irrigated Terai plots with improved varieties and management can yield 7–10 t/ha. The gap between current and potential yield represents the biggest opportunity in Nepal's agriculture today.

• Total area: ~900,000 hectares (MALD, 2024)
• Annual production: ~2.3 million metric tonnes
• Contribution to agricultural GDP: ~8%
• Primary uses: human food (dough, popcorn), animal feed (poultry, livestock), and industrial starch
• Nepal's fastest growing agri-sector: poultry demand for maize grows 15–20% annually

Best Maize Varieties for Nepal (मकैका जातहरू)

रामपुर कम्पोजिट — NARC को रामपुर कृषि अनुसन्धान केन्द्रमा विकसित — नेपालमा सबभन्दा बढी लगाइने OPV हो किनकि किसानहरूले आफ्नै बीउ अर्को सिजनका लागि बचाउन सक्छन्। पूर्ण हाइब्रिड जातले उल्लेखनीय रूपमा बढी उत्पादन दिन्छ तर प्रत्येक सिजन नयाँ बीउ किन्नु पर्छ।

Rampur Composite — bred at NARC's Rampur Agriculture Research Station — is the most widely grown OPV in Nepal because farmers can save its seed for the next season. Hybrid varieties like Purnea offer significantly higher yields but require purchasing fresh seed annually. For commercial poultry-feed maize production in the Terai, hybrids are strongly preferred.

सही जनसंख्या घनत्व राम्रो मकै उत्पादनको आधार हो। थोरै बोट = कम उत्पादन; धेरै बोट = प्रकाश, पानी र पोषणको प्रतिस्पर्धा।

Maize has a wide planting window in Nepal — one of the advantages over rice, which is strictly tied to monsoon timing.

Seed Rate and Plant Spacing (बीउ दर र दूरी)

मकैलाई धेरै पोषण चाहिन्छ, विशेष गरी नाइट्रोजन। नाइट्रोजन कमी नेपालका साना किसानको मकै खेतमा उत्पादन कम हुनुको सबभन्दा सामान्य कारण हो।

• Seed rate: 25 kg per hectare (25 केजी प्रति हेक्टर)
• Row spacing: 75 cm (hill to hill in row)
• Plant spacing: 25 cm (row to row)
• Plant population target: ~53,000 plants per hectare
• 2–3 seeds per hill; thin to 1 plant at 2-leaf stage (14–16 DAS)
• Seed depth: 4–5 cm — shallow planting causes poor emergence in dry soil

फल आर्मीवर्म (FAW) — Spodoptera frugiperda — २०१९ मा अफ्रिकाबाट भारत हुँदै नेपाल पुगेको हाल सबभन्दा विनाशकारी नयाँ कीरा हो। यसले ३०–७०% उत्पादन क्षति गर्न सक्छ। छिटो पत्ता लगाउनु र काम गर्नु महत्त्वपूर्ण छ।

Maize has a MEDIUM water requirement compared to rice — this is one of its key advantages for water-scarce regions. However, it is highly sensitive to water stress at two specific stages: tasseling/pollination (silking) and grain filling. Drought during these stages can reduce yield by 50–70%.

• Critical watering periods: tasseling (VT stage) and grain filling (R3–R5)
• Total water requirement: 400–700 mm per season depending on temperature
• Most Terai maize is rainfed — supplement irrigation during dry spells in April–May for early season crop
• Do NOT grow maize in waterlogged fields — roots suffocate within 48 hours of flooding
• Sandy loam soils with good drainage are ideal for maize

Fertilizer Management for Maize (मकैको मल व्यवस्थापन)

मकै काट्नु पर्ने समय हो जब भुटेको बाहिरी खोल सुकेर खैरो भइसकेको हुन्छ र प्रत्येक दानाको फेदमा कालो तह (शारीरिक परिपक्वता) बनिसकेको हुन्छ। छिटो काटे नमी बढी हुन्छ र aflatoxin संदूषणको जोखिम हुन्छ।

कृषि पात्रोको बाली क्यालेन्डर प्रयोग गरी मकै रोपाइ मिति ट्र्याक गर्नुहोस् र घुँडा-उचाइमा Urea प्रयोगका लागि स्वचालित अनुस्मारक पाउनुहोस् — मकैको उत्पादनमा एकल सबभन्दा प्रभावशाली मल प्रयोग।

Fall Armyworm (FAW) — Spodoptera frugiperda — is currently the most destructive new pest threat to Nepali maize, having arrived from Africa via India in 2019. It can cause 30–70% yield loss if unmanaged. Early detection and action are critical.

• Fall Armyworm (FAW / फल आर्मीवर्म): Check whorl leaves for feeding damage and frass — spray Emamectin Benzoate or Chlorpyrifos at early infestation
• Maize Stem Borer (Chilo partellus): Dead heart in young plants — apply Carbofuran granules in whorl
• Maize Downy Mildew (Peronosclerospora spp.): Systemic disease causing striping — use resistant varieties and Metalaxyl seed treatment
• Corn Smut (Ustilago maydis): Galls on ears and tassels — remove and destroy infected tissue
• Leaf Blight (Turcicum blight): Brown elongated lesions — use resistant hybrids and avoid excessive nitrogen

Crop Rotation After Maize (मकै पछि के लगाउने?)

Maize fits excellently in Nepal's traditional crop rotation patterns. The primary rotations are:

• Maize → Rice (Terai): Early maize harvested in August makes way for transplanted rice in the same season
• Maize → Wheat (Terai and Hills): Maize harvested in September/October, wheat sown immediately
• Maize → Potato (Hills): Common in mid-hills where potato follows summer maize
• Maize → Mustard (Terai): Fast-growing oilseed after early maize harvest

Harvesting and Storage (कटनी र भण्डारण)

Maize should be harvested when the husk has dried and turned brown, and the black layer has formed at the base of each kernel (physiological maturity). Harvesting too early results in poor drying and aflatoxin contamination risk.

• Harvest at 25–30% grain moisture; dry to 12–13% before storage
• Shelling too early (>14% moisture) causes fungal contamination
• Use metal silos or plastic hermetic bags for storage to prevent weevil damage
• Aflatoxin (produced by Aspergillus mold) is a major concern in improperly dried maize — test grain before selling for poultry feed
• Properly dried maize can be stored for 8–12 months without significant loss