Background:
Rabi and/or spring maize is an emerging crop in North Western Plans Zone comprising the states of Punjab, Haryana, plains of Uttarakhand, Western U.P. and Delhi. The rabi and maize has higher productivity than kharif maize and medium maturity cultivars have added advantage to provide time for summer crop sowing. High yielding maize hybrids are essentially required for meeting the increasing demand of maize grain in poultry feed and starch industry in North West Plains Zone. For example, Haryana with highest production of broilers has demand of over 30 lakh tonnes maize grains annually but produces only 20 thousand tonnes. In Haryana there are two starch industries viz., Bharat Starch Industries, Yamunanagar and Sada Sat Corn Product Pvt. Ltd. Garhi Singha, Kurukshetra. These industries utilize approximately 200 and 75 tonnes corn grain, respectively on daily basis. Further demand of silage maize in rabi/spring is also increasing in Punjab. Technology Details:
The parental lines of the hybrid are highly diverse and heterotic hence the cross combination has resulted in high yielding single cross hybrid which consistently recorded yield of 10.48 t/ha across zones and locations with a potential yield up to 12.0 t/ha. This medium maturity single cross hybrid shown significant yield superiority (21.58 %) over the relevant best check. This hybrid has recorded resistant reaction to major diseases in the zone under artificial inoculated conditions:
Name of crop/ variety Maize: IMH 223 (IMHSB 17R-9), Parentage IML 15 × BML 7, Year of release 2022, Gazette Notification Details S.O. 4065 (E) S.N.72, Dated 31st August, 2022, Yield (t/ha) 10.48 t/ha, Season Rabi/Spring, Maturity Group Medium (137 days), Reaction to major diseases and insects, This hybrid is moderately resistant (MR) to major disease of north western plains zone (NWPZ) namely charcoal rot (ChR) 4.7 score on 0-9 scale. The hybrid also showed moderately resistance against TLB (score 4.1) and resistance against MLB (score 3.0) and Fusarium stalk Rot FSR (score 2.7) based on national mean. The hybrid IMH 223 showed moderately tolerant to Chilo partellus, (mean LIR 5.8) Pink Stem Borer (mean LIR 5.5) (based on mean LIR) and Fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (mean LIR 4.5):
Other remarks This medium maturity single cross hybrid shown significant yield superiority (21.58 %) over the relevant best check in North Western Plains Zone during three years of testing in AICRP trials of maize. This hybrid is responsive to high inputs.