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areas the cultivation of fall and/or winter maize isalso possible. The winter maize crop is largely greenmaize, cultivated and consumed more as a vegetablethan as a grain crop. However, the cultivation of falland winter maize following spring maize has beendecreasing due to competition from other crops andto shifts in consumption preferences from maize torice. In subtropical/mid-altitude and tropical lowlandmaize regions of China, maize may be planted inrotation with a wide range of crops, including potato,rape, vegetables, melons, and wheat (in subtropical/mid-altitude maize environments).4.2 Maize Varieties Grown andFarmer PreferencesMaize farmers in Asia grew local/traditional,improved open-pollinated, and hybrid varieties.In much of Asia, local/traditional maize varietiesare grown in areas predominantly subsisting onthe crop, and modern yellow hybrids are grown inpredominantly commercial maize-growing areas.Farmers generally select maize varieties based onintended use. For home food and feed, farmersprefer to grow local/traditional white maizevarieties for their good eating quality, low materialinputs requirement (especially fertilizers), and lowproduction cost, as the seed can be recycled. If maizeis grown purely for cash income, farmers are morelikely to grow hybrid varieties, provided they haveaccess to enough capital for material and labor inputs.Farmers are aware these improved varieties willproduce higher yields when proper quantities ofinputs are supplied.When choosing hybrid varieties to plant, Asian maizefarmers prefer those with high yields, heavy grains,general resistance to pests and diseases, resistance todrought and other climatic stresses, and high shellingrecovery. In the mid-hills of Nepal and the centralisland of Visayas, Philippines, where white maize(mostly local/traditional and improved OPVs) isgrown largely for human consumption, farmers prefermaize varieties with early maturity, high millingrecovery, good eating quality, and general suitabilityto marginal soils. Other characteristics that influencefarmers’ choice of variety are grain weight, levelof productivity, maturity period, and quantity andquality of foliage.In India, the more commercial, non-traditionalmaize-growing areas of Karnataka and AndhraPradesh are generally planted to hybrids, for whichseed replacement is high (75-90%). Traditional maizegrowing areas (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,and Uttar Pradesh) are sown to more local/traditionalvarieties, especially during the rainy season, andseed replacement is very low. Winter maize is gainingimportance because it is, subject to less risk underassured irrigation and the best management practices,and gives higher yields than rainy season maize.Indian farmers often sow hybrids or composites duringthe winter season, and farm-saved seed of local/traditional varieties during the rainy season.Both subsistence and semi-commercial farmers inthe subtropical/mid-altitude maize environments ofChina cultivate hybrid varieties almost exclusively.Recycling of hybrid seed was reported in some lowmarket-surplusvillages, but they represented only asmall share of the total maize area. In rainfed tropicallowland environments, farmers grew hybrids, local/traditional varieties, and improved OPVs. Local/traditional varieties were preferred for cultivation onhilly terrain, for their suitability to marginal soils, andfor their consumption qualities. The performance ofimproved OPVs varied by location, but in sites wherethey continued to be cultivated, farmers preferredthem for their consumption qualities, good eardevelopment, drought tolerance, and earlier maturity.The fact that farmers can save seeds for planting wasanother advantage of improved OPVs.Part of the RRA/PRA survey was a researcher-ledfarmer exercise on ranking desirable characteristicsof maize varieties. As expected, farmer-respondentsranked high yield as the most desirable and importantcharacteristic, especially if the crop is grown for cashincome. Where maize is grown for food, farmersconsidered good eating quality as the most importantcharacteristic. Other maize characteristics preferredby Asian maize farmers included pest and diseaseresistance, heavy grain weight, and full maize ear(Philippines); early maturity, lodging resistance(Nepal); reasonable seed price (Thailand); insectresistance, firm stalks, and large ears (Vietnam); anddrought tolerance, insect and disease resistance,lodging resistance, and upright leaf structure forintercropping (China).4.3 Land Preparation and CropManagement PracticesIn general, land preparation for maize productionin Asia consists of one or two plowing operationsusing either machine or animals, or a combinationof both, mechanized plowing, and harrowing andfurrowing using draft animals. In some remote andsloping villages, land preparation is done eitherwith animals or manually. In Lam Dong and KaDo provinces, Vietnam, ethnic groups still practiceshifting cultivation. Their land preparation begins with29