Waxy or glutinous corn is one of the major crops grown in the Philippines with over a million Filipino farmers, depending on it as their main source of income and employment. With the increasing population of Filipinos and the rise in the market demand for cornicks, local production of waxy corn grains has always been barely able to support the demand of the processing industry.
Planting Recommendation
Growing waxy hybrid is just like growing yellow corn hybrid. However, isolation is needed to avoid cross pollination especially to yellow hybrids which will affect quality of the waxy corn- some grains will become yellow when cross pollinated to yellow varieties. It should be planted about 200 meters away from yellow corn or should be planted 21 days earlier or later than yellow non-waxy hybrid to avoid cross pollination. Planting distance is 70 cm between rows and 20 cm between hills or about 70,000 plants per hectare.
If you decide to plant for the green corn market, it should be planted at 70 cm between rows and and 25 cm between hills at or about 57,000 plants per hectare. Wider planting distance is generally recommended for green corn so that the plants will produce bigger and better ears. Bigger ears with good grain-filling are more attractive to buyers and commands better prices.
Crop Monitoring
Regular monitoring should be done for occurrence of insects and diseases and proper pest control should be employed to avoid reduction of yield and quality of the harvest. Watch out for the Asiatic corn borer, the major insect pest attacking corn which can tremendously reduce yield if left uncontrolled. Use pesticides that are recommended for corn and follow the instructions on the label. Irrigation should be done when rainfall is minimal to attain high yield, particularly during the flowering stage.
Harvesting
When the crop is intended for green corn market, frequent monitoring should be done to know when to harvest the green corn. Some waxy hybrids are ready for green corn at 68-72 days after flowering or 2-3 weeks after flowering depending on the weather condition and to the hybrid maturity itself.
On the other hand, when the crop is intended for grains- cornick or chicharon– corn ears should be harvested at the right time. Harvest the ears when the leaves and husks turn brown. Black layer formation to the grains is also a sign that that the crop is fully mature. Harvest the ears, dehusk then dry them to about 8 to 20 percent moisture content before shelling. Drying the corn ears before shelling is recommended to avoid broken grains during mechanical shelling which will lead to poor grain quality and low grain price. Dry the grains again until it has reached 14 percent moisture content. By this time the grains are ready for storage or selling. Whole and clean grains are preferred by waxy corn grain processors since this is intended for food and buyers will give higher price.
Cost & Return Analysis for Waxy Corn
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My favorite snack boiled waxy corn.