DHM 117
A Dharwad-bred hybrid that roughly doubles the yield ceiling of an open-pollinated variety, at the cost of fresh hybrid seed every season.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Maize
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 100–105 days
- Seed rate
- 10 kg per acre for a grain maize (PAU)
- Expected yield
- 45–55 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Moderate turcicum leaf blight tolerance
- Release
- Released 2009, bred at ANGRAU, Hyderabad from the cross BML 6 × BML 7
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
DHM 117 is a single-cross maize hybrid released in 2009, bred at ANGRAU, Hyderabad from the cross BML 6 × BML 7, with medium-to-late maturity and orange-yellow flint grain. Artificial epiphytotic screening documents it as moderately resistant (MR) to turcicum leaf blight. Front-line demonstrations in Mahabubnagar district, Telangana over 2012–13 recorded farmer-field yields averaging around 44 q/ha, in a 36–54 q/ha range, well above the local checks it was compared against. That is a more conservative, field-tested figure than the higher yield ceiling sometimes quoted for research-station conditions.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick DHM 117 if you farm in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh or Telangana and want a hybrid whose yield has been checked in farmers' fields, not only at a research station. Demonstrations in Mahabubnagar, Telangana, gave about 44 q/ha (range 36–54 q/ha), well above local checks. It takes 100–105 days and is moderately resistant to turcicum leaf blight. Plan around the field figure, not the 45–55 q/ha potential. You must buy fresh hybrid seed every season. If you want a shorter crop, Vivek Hybrid 27 matures in 80–88 days.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeLast week of May to the end of June for the kharif crop (PAU)
- Seed rate10 kg per acre for a grain maize (PAU)
- Spacing60 cm between rows and 20 cm between plants, which works out to about 33,333 plants per acre. Seed goes 3–5 cm deep
- Sowing methodSow in lines with a maize planter or a seed-cum-fertiliser drill with a planting attachment. Inoculating the seed with a consortium biofertiliser before sowing raises grain yield
- IrrigationFour to six irrigations depending on the rain. Water must not run short at pre-tasselling, silking and grain filling — those three stages decide the yield (PAU)
- FertilizerFor a full-season hybrid, 50 kg N, 24 kg P2O5 and 12 kg K2O per acre — 110 kg urea with 55 kg DAP. Drill one-third of the nitrogen with all the phosphorus and potash at sowing, top-dress one-third at knee-high and the last third just before tasselling. Potash only if the soil tests short (PAU)
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Documented moderate resistance to turcicum leaf blight under artificial disease-pressure screening, useful in humid kharif seasons
- Front-line demonstrations recorded a clear, realistic yield advantage over local checks in farmer fields, not just at the research station
Things to consider
- As with any single-cross hybrid, fresh certified seed is needed every season — farm-saved seed loses the hybrid vigour and yield advantage
- Realistic farmer-field yields (around 44 q/ha in documented demonstrations) run below the higher figures sometimes quoted for controlled research-station conditions — plan around the field-tested number
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Andhra Pradesh
- Telangana
Hybrid seed every season: is the yield worth the bill?
A single-cross hybrid roughly doubles the yield ceiling of an open-pollinated maize, and it asks for fresh certified seed every single season in return. Seed kept from your own cobs loses the vigour, so the honest comparison is not hybrid yield against variety yield, it is the extra grain against the extra seed bill.
Work it out once for your own field. Note what a bag of DHM 117 seed costs you, what an open-pollinated variety seed costs, and the yield you have actually been getting, not the trial figure. In most irrigated kharif fields the extra grain covers the seed easily; in a rainfed field that often fails at flowering, it may not. Whichever you choose, keep the bag tag and the dealer bill until the crop is sold, because that is the only proof you have if the lot turns out poor.
Where the planting material comes from
This is a hybrid, so seed kept from your own harvest will not breed true. The next crop comes up uneven in height, maturity and yield. Buy fresh certified seed every season and keep the bag tag until harvest.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Maize variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DHM 117this page | Hybrid for the south with a field-tested yield | 100–105 days | 45–55 q/ha | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
| Ganga Safed 2 | White grain and cheap, easy-to-find seed | 100–110 days | 40–50 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan |
| Vivek Hybrid 27 | Extra-early maize for a short season | 80–85 days (North East Plain Zone); 85–88 days (Peninsular Zone) | 50–55 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Maize is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Maize plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Maize variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Maize into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Maize in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Maize rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Maize seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What yield can I realistically expect from DHM 117 on my own field?
Front-line demonstrations in Telangana recorded an average of about 44 q/ha under real farmer-field conditions, with a range of roughly 36–54 q/ha depending on management — a more useful planning figure than research-station potential yields, which run higher.
Does DHM 117 need spraying for turcicum leaf blight?
It carries documented moderate resistance under artificial disease-pressure trials, which reduces but doesn’t eliminate risk — a protective spray is still worth it in a humid season with heavy blight pressure in your area.
Can I save DHM 117 seed for the next season?
No. DHM 117 is a single-cross hybrid. Seed saved from your own harvest loses the hybrid vigour and the yield advantage, so buy fresh certified seed every season.
Is DHM 117 suitable for Telangana?
Yes. Telangana is one of the states listed for it, and its field yield was recorded in demonstrations in Mahabubnagar district over 2012–13. Those gave about 44 q/ha on average.
DHM 117 or Vivek Hybrid 27: which one should I sow?
DHM 117 takes 100–105 days and has field results from the south. Vivek Hybrid 27 takes only 80–88 days and is bred for short seasons. Pick DHM 117 for Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh or Telangana. Pick Vivek Hybrid 27 when you have a short window between crops.
What seed rate and spacing does DHM 117 need?
PAU gives 10 kg per acre for a grain maize, with rows 60 cm apart and plants 20 cm apart, about 33,333 plants per acre, and the seed 3–5 cm deep. A single-cross hybrid has no spare plants to fill a gap, so get the stand right at sowing.
When should I sow DHM 117?
PAU puts the kharif sowing from the last week of May to the end of June. At 100–105 days a June sowing comes off through late September and October. Sowing later leaves the crop filling grain in wetter weather, when leaf blight spreads faster.
Sourced from: Package of Practices for Kharif Crops, Punjab Agricultural University: maize sowing window, seed rate, row and plant spacing, sowing depth, split fertiliser schedule and irrigation. editorial policy.