Question

Which of the following states is a major producer of maize in India?
A) Bihar
B) Punjab
C) Haryana
D) Himachal Pradesh

Answer 1

Hint:
 Maize is mostly a Kharif crop which is planted not long before the beginning of a rainstorm and is reaped after retreating from the storm. In Tamil Nadu, it is a rabi crop and is planted half a month before the beginning of winter stormy season in Sept. InOct. It requires 50-100 cm of precipitation and it can't be filled in regions of more than 100 cm precipitation.

Complete solution:
Maize is a secondary grain which is used both as food and fodder. Its grain gives food and is used for obtaining starch and glucose. Its stalk is grazed to cattle. In areas of lesser rainfall, the crop is irrigated. For example, more than half of the maize area in Punjab and Karnataka is irrigated. Long dry spells during the rainy season are risky for maize. Sunshine after showers is very useful for maize. Cool and dry weather helps in the ripening of the grain.

This crop usually grows well under temperatures differing from 21°C to 27°C, although it can tolerate temperatures as high as 35°C. Frost is injurious to maize and this crop is grown only in those areas where there are about four and a half frost-free months in a year.

Bihar is the third largest maize developing state contributing around 14 per cent to national production. Around 0.72 million hectares is presently under maize cultivation, which is about 7.3 per cent of Gross Cropped Area (GCA) in the state and over 15 lakh farmers are engaged in maize cultivation.

Hence, the correct answer is option A.

Note:
The maize is promoted throughout the year in all states of the country for several objectives including grain, fodder, green cobs, sweet corn, baby corn, popcorn in pre-urban areas. The predominant maize growing states that contributes more than 80 % of the total maize production are Andhra Pradesh (20.9 %), Karnataka (16.5 %), Rajasthan (9.9 %), Maharashtra (9.1 %), Bihar (8.9 %), Uttar Pradesh (6.1 %), Madhya Pradesh (5.7 %), Himachal Pradesh (4.4 %).