Maize is one of the world’s most versatile and widely grown crops, with estimates indicating that over 1.15 to 1.23 billion metric tons are produced annually, worldwide. Of this, India grows approximately 2- to 3 percent of the world's total corn, ranking among the top 10 global producers in the world. Corn occupies a unique place in Indian agriculture: widely cultivated across diverse agro-climatic zones, used for food, feed and industry, and adaptable to smallholder and commercial systems, alike. Its biological traits and management flexibility mean corn can contribute to more sustainable farming in India. However, realising that potential requires context-specific practices, supportive institutions, and attention to local socio-economic realities.
In several Indian states, continuous cereal monocultures have degraded soils and increased pest pressure. Integrating corn into crop rotations with legumes (pigeonpea, mungbean, cowpea) or oilseeds can improve nitrogen availability, break pest and disease cycles, and enhance soil structure. In smallholder systems, intercropping maize with pulses or vegetables provides immediate household nutrition and income diversification, reducing risk and dependency on a single crop. In the US, soyabean (legumes) is planted after one season of corn. Leguminous crops add nitrogen back to the soil, thereby enriching it for a crop like maize which requires fertilisers. It has been observed that in areas where popcorn maize is planted after legumes, the yields tend to go up.
A Case for Conservation Agriculture
Maize’s yield response to soil quality makes it a clear candidate for Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices in India: zero or reduced tillage, residue retention and crop rotation. Retaining maize stover (leaves, stalks, husks, and sometimes cobs that are left in the field) and planting cover crops during fallow periods reduces erosion, enhances organic matter and improves moisture retention – critical in rainfed regions of central and eastern India. CA, combined with localised soil testing and balanced nutrient management, can slowly rebuild degraded soils and reduce long-term input needs.
A large share of Indian maize is rainfed, particularly in eastern states where maize supports smallholders. Practices that increase soil organic matter – cover crops, residue retention and reduced tillage – improve infiltration and drought resilience. Where irrigation is available, adopting micro-irrigation (drip or sprinkler) for higher-value maize-based systems, and tailoring irrigation schedules to crop phenology, can substantially improve water-use efficiency. Promoting drought-tolerant hybrids and varieties adapted to local conditions is also crucial.
Excessive or poorly timed fertiliser application both raises costs and risks pollution. In India, site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) for maize – based on soil testing, split applications, and use of appropriate formulations – can improve yields while reducing nitrogen losses. Integrating organic amendments (farmyard manure, compost) and recycling maize stover as mulch or compost supports long-term fertility gains, particularly for resource-poor farmers. In addition, switching from inorganic fertilisers (chemical or synthetic fertilisers) to biologicals (i.e., bacteria which improve the organic carbon content of the soil) can be beneficial to improve yield.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Biodiversity
Monoculture and repeated cropping patterns can encourage pest outbreaks. IPM or maize in India emphasises resistant varieties, timely sowing, biological controls, pheromone traps, cultural practices and targeted pesticide use only when necessary. Promoting landscape-level biodiversity – field margins, hedgerows, and intercropping – supports natural enemies and helps keep pest populations in check.
Post-harvest Management and Value Chains
Reducing post-harvest losses for maize through better drying, storage and local processing increases effective supply and improves farmer incomes, making sustainable practices more attractive. Strengthening Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and local value chains helps smallholders access inputs, credit and markets, and can enable scale-up of practices like residue management and mechanised planting that have upfront costs.
Climate Resilience and Mitigation
Sustainable maize systems in India can contribute to climate adaptation by improving soil moisture retention and resisting drought. Practices such as reduced tillage, cover cropping and residue retention also sequester carbon over time. Encouraging climate-resilient maize varieties and aligning planting windows with changing rainfall patterns will be important as climate variability increases.
Maize requires less water, whilst giving a good return to the farmer, so by growing maize after paddy, results in a) crop rotation b) water conservation and c) reduces excess production of one crop (in this case paddy).
Barriers and Enabling Measures
Challenges in India include land fragmentation, limited mechanisation tailored to small farms, access to capital for conservation practices, knowledge gaps, and market incentives that often favour short-term yield increases over long-term sustainability. Addressing these requires extension services focused on farmer-to-farmer learning, subsidies and credit for sustainable equipment and inputs, supportive policy signals, and private-sector and civil-society engagement in building local supply chains and training.
Corn can be an effective lever for promoting sustainable farming practices in India when embedded within diversified rotations, conservation agriculture, efficient nutrient and water management, IPM and strengthened value chains. The crop itself is not a silver bullet; sustainability depends on how maize is grown, integrated into farm systems, and supported by institutions and markets. With targeted interventions and farmer-centric approaches, maize cultivation can transition from a high-input risk to a component of resilient, sustainable agriculture in the Indian context.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Krishi Jagran.
