# Hi steemit 
   
* Today's post is about maize or corn as it is interchageably called,  its the most important source of energy giving food and is consumed in the largest quantity here compared to other cereals. 

![IMG_20200417_183925_1.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcPHE16LNSPBki8iKUbQg5mhnRYP7uyFd7sabsLCVi9df/IMG_20200417_183925_1.jpg)

 
 # Different  forms of maize is used  for consumption here when it is harvested fresh for instance
 * We cook or boil in hot water with salt for direct eating. 
* We also roast in fire called roasted maize 
* We also cook a mixture of maize and beans another type of meal. 
* We use maize to make pap a jelly like drink for breakfast and breastfeeding mothers  and a thicker version of this pap called Agidi in igbo Nigerian  language or Eku tutu in yoruba  is eating with soup when prepared in banana wrap as another type of meal. 

![IMG_20200418_073015_1.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmbonogBPqKxEGwLAuMtBAryQFPovRFH4ebZd3nQWAcNf3/IMG_20200418_073015_1.jpg)
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![IMG_20200418_073022_6.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmckdCtZV4xR9rEQCTmi1iuNKrGMGocu6QrQgJ8ansdrnD/IMG_20200418_073022_6.jpg)
 
Here is daddy scoping and consuming fresh pap he got from a vendor now. 

# Dried and ground maize is used in 
* Making Tuwo a turning food like the ones made with semovita 

![IMG_20200418_075850_5.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmUyn3L9ZSpatEeSMrivUJoUoghaPNw3TcNQb77CTcsqhj/IMG_20200418_075850_5.jpg)

![IMG_20200418_075756_8.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmdzsRgdzYGzQoPxiQE2NV4VbMwgWPBtLbmdbN3gE2YazA/IMG_20200418_075756_8.jpg)
Here is left over tuwo from last night consumped in the family with soup. 

* Masa  and pate are  another form of meal prepared by hausa using maize. 

# Industrial application. 
* Maize is used for alcohol  ( ethanol) and starch production where these are used to make other products. 
* Cornflake and golden morn  are other industrially manipulated maize for easy and more nutritious consumption of maize 
 
* Maize is another very important animal feed. 

 # Stages of growing maize. 
* Land preparation and ridging,  This involves clearing bushes and making ridges,  compost manure or poultry manure can be added to the farm before planting. 
* Planting
Here in Nigerian i plant maize two times withing a year called early and late maize. 
Early maize is consumed fresh,  it is planted between April/May depending on rain and harvested 3-4 months after and  late maize is planted July/August which is then harvested,  sun dried and stored. 
Hausa fulanis also plant maize during the dry season along the river bank and use pumping machines to wet the maize,  another form of irrigation system. 

![IMG_20200417_184120_4.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmUP7jCzt6R9KuL3GxhmNfGaanzn2rov4qFYe2qe1v7n5x/IMG_20200417_184120_4.jpg)
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![IMG_20200417_184115_4.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmW14rKG11gZGSEgNzgMn4qzULga76jPqYL7TiVJXgkeZb/IMG_20200417_184115_4.jpg)
 Here we can see how pipe has been set from river source to the farm to supply water and wet the crop. 

![IMG_20200417_184018_0.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmZPpp4YGfKWbndPQBQZsRov5GbSuDfoSBhZFqvP268vVJ/IMG_20200417_184018_0.jpg)
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![IMG_20200417_183847_6.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRGGFLCqWSvG52XfQyc5DAbeLzxxg29tsorvaJh44uaYD/IMG_20200417_183847_6.jpg)

* We achieve planting locally by planting  2-3 grains per hole with 3 feet spacing on a wet soil from rainfall. 

![IMG_20200414_182423_8.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmNyKC3XFXJUbynN4K8aa1q69CyxYnpLswQgWLGCrsCGxk/IMG_20200414_182423_8.jpg)


* Maize grows in most soil with the right amount of nutrient except for hard clay that is water lodge. 

* Fertilizer aplication is carried out after one month of planting using inorganic fertilizer like NPK. 

* Weeding,  we mix recommended chemicals in spray tanks we carry on our backs to spray the whole maize farms. 

![IMG_20200418_075718_1.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmZfPN2XmuMeVcqSsZibcD3yF1cw8k1K2ZKiWjF7KpoDx3/IMG_20200418_075718_1.jpg)


* Maturity and harvesting,  Maize matures after 3-4 months of planting and requires only an average amount of rainfall. 

* Pest and insect control is done using chemicals to destroy these crop destroying and harvest reducing insects. 
Even in storage recommended chemicals are used to prevent weevils that damages maize in storage. 


![IMG_20200417_184310_6.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmf6sFfVoRCWGGpNikZAG4KJL6g6qWSzD81VgfmgtX7tB5/IMG_20200417_184310_6.jpg)
I was accompanied by my little bro to the farm who is also learning a thing or two about farming. 

![IMG_20200417_183834_6.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQme66QaNJJbAVXw1TycFLcMH26tah2D3ZLYVq4hxgH48yY/IMG_20200417_183834_6.jpg)
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![IMG_20200417_183834_6.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQme66QaNJJbAVXw1TycFLcMH26tah2D3ZLYVq4hxgH48yY/IMG_20200417_183834_6.jpg)

# Thanks for viewing,  i wonder if maize is eating fresh outside Nigerian and Africa as well