Harvesting of Maize

HARVESTING

• Harvest your maize when it is completely ripe and dried
• The leaves and husks starts to dry out
• The part of the kernel where it is attached to the cob starts to turn brownish or blackish in 90% of the kernels of the cob. This is called black layer formation
• The cobs are no longer appreciated for roasting
• Upon breaking a kernel the inside of it is no longer milky
• At least a quarter of the cobs have started to droop
• Moisture content is about 35%.

Cutting, stooking and dehusking

It can be done manually by removing cob by cob or by cutting the stocks together with the cobs and stooking in the field to dry further.