The best time to plant for maize for rainfed farmers in Nigeria is the onset of the rainy season. This is around early April in Southern Nigeria and late March in the northernmost part of Nigeria.
For irrigation farmers, the best time to plant maize can be anytime in the year as irrigation assures all year round farming. For maize farmers using drip irrigation systems for example, they can plant maize at any time.
For some farmers, they may choose the best time to plant maize based on factors like incidences of pests and diseases, climatic factor, availability of labour and access to water etc.
The best time to plant maize across the climatic zones of Nigeria
The best time to plant maize across the climatic zones of Nigeria is discussed below:
Mangrove Swamp Forest Zone
The best time to plant maize in the mangrove swamp forest area like Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom is early March to late March. This is usually the beginning of the rainy season in this forest belt in Nigeria.
Rain Forest Zone
The best time to plant maize in the rain forest zone like Ondo and Edo is late March to early April. This is usually the beginning of the rainy season in this forest belt in Nigeria.
Guinean Savannah Zone
The best time to plant maize in the Guinean savannah zone like Kogi and Abuja is late April to late May. This is usually the beginning of the rainy season in this forest belt in Nigeria.
Sudan Savannah Zone
The best time to plant maize in the Sudan savannah zone like Niger State and Northern part of Kogi is early May to late May. This is usually the beginning of the rainy season in this forest belt in Nigeria.
Sahel Savannah Zone
The best time to plant maize in the Sahel savannah zone like Yobe state and Borno state is late May to early June. This is usually the beginning of the rainy season in this forest belt in Nigeria.
Factors that can affect the time to plant maize in Nigeria
The following factors can affect the time to plant maize in Nigeria:
The availability of water
Without water, maize cannot be planted. Most maize farmers plant maize at the onset of rainfall due to the availability of water.
Irrigation farmers also plant maize based on the availability of water.
Intensity of pests and diseases
Some maize farmers avoid planting maize during the dry season because of the intensity of insects like whiteflies and armyworms during the dry season
During the rainy season, the incidences of fungal diseases are also high. Fungal diseases can damage the leaves of maize plants and negatively impact photosynthetic process of the plant, this can lead to a low yield.
Availability of labour
The availability of labour can impact the time to plant maize in Nigeria. At a particular time of the year, the availability of labour can be very high while at some other time, labour can be scarce.
Should you wish to know the best time to plant maize in Nigeria, kindly contact us through sales@veggieconcept.ng.