Maize News: Master Training Programme on Best Management Practices in Maize for Profitable Bioethanol Production

Venue: ICAR-IIMR, Ludhiana
Date: 29th November-1st December, 2023
Organizer: ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research, Ludhiana

The maize production in the country is increasing @ 4% annual growth rate (AGR) and touched 38.0 million tonnes from a sizable area of ~10.3 m ha. Almost 50% of the total maize is being utilized by poultry sector and rest for the different purposes.

Looking to the escalating prices of the crude oil, Government of India launched a program on Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) in the year 2003. Currently, about 11.7% of the blending target are met from sugarcane and broken grains specially rice. However, to achieve 20% blending target, we need nearly 14 billion liters of bioethanol by 2025-26. In this regard, special emphasis on maize as feed-stock is laid by our government. The Government scheme of establishment of grain/dual distilleries in Pan India requires enhanced maize production in the catchment areas towards sustainable bioethanol production. There is a significant role of the best management practices and their targeting in the various maize growing ecology of the country. Thus, IIMR have planned a training programme for the stakeholders particularly the ethanol industries and their collaborators. The training module has lectures from research organization/seed industry and hands on experience on the best management practices in maize.

The training will be given on the following key areas:
- Maize as ethanol feedstock: Challenges and opportunities
- Maize varieties for different ecologies and seasons
- Hybrid maize seed production techniques
- Scientific maize cultivation practices
- Mechanized maize cultivation
- Sustainable weed management
- Nutrient deficiency disorder and their management
- Insect-pest (fall armyworm, stem borer, shoot fly) and their management
- Diseases and their management
- Hands on training on maize sowing using bed planter/roller planter/jab planter/ pneumatic planter
- Hands on training on insect-pest management
- Aflatoxin management for quality maize production
- Storage pest and their management
- Processing, grading and value addition
- Maize DDGS

Last date for registration: 25 November 2023, 5:00 pm
Course fee: Rs. 10000/- per participant
The fee includes arrangements except for the stay charges. Accommodation is also available at ICAR/PAU guest house on nominal charges and can be availed by the participant on first come first serve basis.

Source:https://iimr.icar.gov.in/