MAIZE

Zea mays
Maize is the most important and staple food in Kenya.The company has steadily increased the production of certified seed suitable for all the agro ecological zones in the East African region.The Kenya Maize varieties comprises of white semi-dent grains and have been bred and selected for a wide range of climatic conditions and altitudes above sea level.

Highland Maize Varieties
These varieties are bred and recommended for medium to high altitudes (1500-2100m) where day temperatures seldom exceed 28 C during growing season and where the night temperatures drop to as low as 8 C. Rainfall requirements ranges from 800-1500mm.Where similar conditions prevail in the highlands of Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia these varieties are recommended.

Transitional Zone

The altitude in this zone falls between 1000-1700m where the temperatures ranges from 12C to 30C and has rainfall similar to that of high altitudes. Hybrid 624 is a typical example in this category.

Medium Altitude Agro-Ecozone ( 1000-1700m)
Some of the varieties in this category include H513, H 515 and H 516. This varieties are commonly grown in coffee growing belts maturing in 4-5 months.The favorable rainfall is between 750- 1000mm.

Lowland Agro-Ecozone: PH 1 and PH4
Pwani hybrids are fairly short varieties resistant to lodging and more tolerant to moisture stress. and recommended for altitude range of 0-1250 M. above sea level with 400mm of rainfall. It has an added advantage of good husk cover hence reduced crop loss though bird and weevil attack.It is also suitable under inter-cropping systems.

Dryland Agro-Ecozone: Katumani Composite B
This is a fast growing open pollinated variety, which is fairly short and produces short cobs. It is a drought escaping variety flowering within 60-65 days and maturing within 90-120 days.
The variety performs well within altitudinal range of 1000-500M above sea level and is a variety for marginal rainfall areas. The variety requires 250-500mm of rain, and has performed extremely well in arid marginal areas in many parts of Africa particularly in Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania and Namibia.

Dryland Composite (DLC1)
This is another open pollinated variety which is recommended for arid and semi-arid regions. This variety flowers earlier than Katumani Composite B by about 4-7 days and is shorter but more prolific. Under unfavorable conditions the variety performs better that Katumani Composite B. The variety is best suited where rainfall duration is short and amounts to less than 350mm. The variety is a good substitute for Katumani where rainfall is erratic.