Plants
maize
Zea mays L.
Family: Poaceae · Genus: Zea
corn
Annual C4 cereal — placed by Pasini in the emergent stratum of Tabela 3 and recommended for the 'up to 6 months' phase of Tabela 4. Short-cycle cover biomass species: produces large amounts of lignified biomass after grain harvest.
Götsch succession
- Götsch stage
- Placenta I
- Ecological role
- Pioneer
- Primary stratum
- Emergent
- Strata
- Emergent, High
- Biomass class
- Mulch biomass
Environment
- Light requirement
- Full sun
- Water requirement
- Moderate
- Drought tolerance
- Low
- Waterlogging tolerance
- None
- Soil pH range
- 4.3–8.7
Morphology
- Mature height
- 1.5–3 m
- Recommended spacing
- 0.2–0.9 m
- Root system
- Fibrous
- Root depth
- Medium
- Growth rate
- Very fast
- Lifespan
- ≤ 1 year
- Time to first harvest
- 4 months
Biomes & climate
- Atlantic Forest Suitable
- Cerrado Suitable
- Amazon Suitable
- Caatinga Suitable
Köppen classes
- Tropical savanna with dry winter (Aw) Suitable
- Subtropical with dry winter (Cwa) Suitable
- Humid subtropical (Cfa) Suitable
Where it fits in a guild
Maize takes the Emergent stratum in the Placenta I phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.
Free account — and the catalog stays open, no sign-up needed.
🪴 Cultivation
Adapts to a wide variety of soils but grows best in deep, rich, well-drained soils. Has no flooding tolerance and frost kills the plant; drought is especially detrimental at flowering, impairing pollination. Prefers annual rainfall above 750 mm.
❓ Frequently asked questions
How long until the first harvest of maize?
The first harvest of maize comes around 4 months after planting.
What spacing is recommended for maize?
The recommended spacing for maize is 0.2–0.9 m.
How tall does maize grow?
At maturity, maize reaches 1.5–3 m tall.
What stage and stratum does maize occupy in a syntropic system?
In a syntropic system, maize belongs to the placenta i stage, occupying the emergent stratum.
Functions
Propagation
Seed
Citations
- Pasini, F. & Guimarães, L. (2017) — Conceitos e princípios práticos da agrofloresta sucessional, Tabela 3 (Incaper) , p. 116 (primary_stratum)
- Pasini, F. & Guimarães, L. (2017) — Tabela 4 (arranjo agroflorestal por estrato e tempo) , p. 120 (gotsch_stage)
- Feedipedia — Maize (Zea mays) (ph_min, ph_max, drought_tolerance, waterlogging_tolerance, cultivation_notes)
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Zea mays (gbif_taxon_key)
External references
Continue exploring
Related plants
-
pigeon pea
Cajanus cajan
Placenta I Low Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerShort-cycle shrubby legume that fixes nitrogen, widely used in Brazilian agroforestry as green manure, early shade and food. Vigorous on poor soils.
-
sunn hemp
Crotalaria juncea
Placenta I High Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerAnnual green-manure legume, fixes up to ~450 kg N/ha, ideal for the Placenta I phase. Breaks nematode cycles and contributes large amounts of ferti...
-
velvet bean
Mucuna pruriens
Placenta I Low Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerAnnual climbing legume that fixes nitrogen (~180–220 kg N/ha) and produces dense cover biomass. Suppresses weeds, decompacts the soil, and is one o...
-
jack bean
Canavalia ensiformis
Placenta I Low Fertilizer biomass 🌱 Nitrogen fixerAnnual nitrogen-fixing legume with strong soil-decompacting and weed-suppressing ability. Explicitly cited by Pasini among Accumulation-system spec...
-
sweet potato
Ipomoea batatas
Placenta I Ground cover No biomass productionShort-cycle creeping tuber crop. Pasini lists it in the low stratum of Tabela 3. Excellent living ground cover early in the agroforestry cycle, edi...
-
pumpkin
Cucurbita moschata
Placenta I Ground cover No biomass productionAnnual creeping cucurbit. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum of Tabela 3 and in the 'up to 6 months' phase of Tabela 4 (low stratum). The Bosque...
