future harv/est - Search CIMMYT repository

Present Status and Strategies for Developmentof M ize Production in Sri LankaK.D.S.M. Joseph and D.H. MuthukudaarachchiField Crops Research and Development InstituteDepartment ofAgriculture, Sri LankaAbstractMaize is the second most important component in rainfed upland cropping systems. Althoughmaize have been grown in Sri Lanka over a long period of time, yield and production levels stillremain low. In the past, maize was mainly used as a human food item especially by the ruralpopulation, but with the expansion of poultry industry, the demand for maize as an animal feed hasincreased. The annual demand of maize for poultry feed was 125,000 mt in 1998, and is showing anincreasing trend. Although country's requirement could be locally produced, large quantities areimported annually. Research programmes in the past have concentrated mainly on the developmentof open pollinated varieties and these varieties have significantly higher yield potentials over thetraditional varieties grown by the farmers. Three high yielding open poJlinated varieties (Ruwan,Aruna and Muthu) were released recently. Also production packages for sole and mixed croppingsituations have been developed. However, due to various reasons, adoption of new technologies bythe farmers is low. High risk associated with minfed upland cultivation and low market prices are themain reasons for low adaptability of new technology. However, at present, the market price of maizehas increased and more farmers are showing interest in growing maize. Therefore, speeding up theextension and improvements to presently available technology is essential.Use of F)-hybrids is limited only to a few farmers who obtain imported seeds from the privatesector. Both on-station and on-farm research have shown that hybrid maize is capable of producing15-20% more yields than presently recommended OPV's. No locally developed F1-hybrids areavailable but there is a need for a shift towards two-parent hybrids. With the increase in extent andadoption of new varieties the demand for quality seed is increasing but still many farmers use theirown seeds due to various reasons. In the past, maize was mainly grown as a rainfed upland cropduring the 'maha' (wet) season. But with the increasing demand, cultivation during the 'yala' (dry)season has been introduced and is becoming popular, especially in follow paddy lands. With theincrease in extents and extended cultivation periods, new problems, especially high incidence of pestand diseases can emerge in the future. It is suspected that stem borer damage could become aproblem in the future if cultivation is extended to the 'yala' season. In order to increase the maizeproduction considerable yield increase and appropriate acreage expansion is necessary. Breeding ofnew varieties (both OPV and hybrids) resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, development ofimproved crop management packages for sole and mixed cropping systems, identification ofconstraints for yield increase, increase production of quality seeds, technology development tominimize pre-and post-harvest losses and speeding up the extension of new technologies are some ofthe factors that need immediate attention. Exchange of germplasm and technical information,increased availability of funds for collaborative activities, organize training programmes, seminarsand workshops, and maintaining direct linkages with national research institutes are some of theactivities that could be suggested to improve the collaboration among member countries.IntroductionMaize is the second most important cereal crop grown in Sri Lanka. No records are available toindicate when this crop was introduced to Sri Lanka, but it was an important crop in the 'slash andburn' (chena) system of farming. Even today, it is mainly grown as a rainfed upland crop during the