Sweet Corn Farming In Kenya

Sweet corn is a vegetable with a high sugar content. sweetcorn is composed of rows of tightly packed golden yellow kernels, growing along a tough central core. When ripe, the kernels are sweet and juicy, and are best cooked simply, with a little butter

Varieties

Panar, Saby Asian, Kalahari, Silver Queen, Extra sweet, Early Sunglow and Kandy corn.

Ecological requirements

Altitude: 0-2400m above sea level.

Rainfall: 700-1000mm during the growing period.

Temperature: 21⁰-27⁰C.

Soils: Well drained fertile sandy loams with ph ranging from 5.0-7.0

Land preparation

Plough the land early before planting; remove all weeds especially the perennial and other obstacles in the soil. Harrow the field to a fine tilth desirable for baby corn production. Apply 12.5 tons of organic manure 30 days before planting.

Propagation and planting

Propagated through seeds, seed rate is 28kg per hectare. Spacing is 90cm by 30cm.

Fertilizer application

Apply 100kg/ha DAP during planting, 200kg/ha CAN/urea during topdressing in two splits.

Weed management

Keep field weed free throughout the growing period, weed shallowly through tillage to remove weeds and other underground structures.

Irrigation

Irrigation is most important during tasseling and silking and should be done once weekly.

Pest management

Rodents: Bait them or use rodenticides eg storm or racumin.

Cut worms: Spray using suitable insecticide eg Thunder.

Army worms: Monitor using army worm traps, spray using suitable insecticide eg Volium targo.

Stalk borer: Apply a pinch of suitable insecticide into whorl, spray using broad spectrum insecticide eg karate.

Aphids: Spray using appropriate insecticide eg Actara.

Disease management

Smut: Practice good field hygiene, use certified seeds.

Maize streak virus: Rogue infected plants, control vectors eg leaf hoppers and grasshoppers using suitable insecticide eg Engeo, Thurder, karate, Match.

Harvesting

It’s ready for harvesting approximately 18-22 days after silking; 2.5-3 months. Yield ranges from 15-17.5 per hectare depending on variety and crop management.

Post-harvest handing

Collected at night or early in the morning when it’s cool and kept in a cool place under shade.

Crop Uses

Eaten as vegetable, canned or frozen before the kernels become tough and starchy.