Climatch
For growers

Where can I grow maize (corn)?

Zea mays · Grain · Annual

Maize (corn) is a great fit (80+) on 100.2 million km² (38.7 million sq mi) of land in 224 countries, 41% of it only with irrigation. The most well-suited land is in Pará, Brazil, Minas Gerais, Brazil and Amazonas, Brazil. Where it can't grow, it's usually growing season too cool (61%) and nights too cold in the growing season (21%).

Crop fit≤5075100Uncolored land: won't grow

Tap the map for the score at any spot. Each square is a 28 km (17 mile) grid cell.

Great fit (80+)
100.2M km²(38.7M sq mi)
69% of land
Worth a try (50–79)
5.1M km²(2.0M sq mi)
4% of land
Great fit without irrigation
58.6M km²(22.6M sq mi)
Rain alone is enough
Countries
224
With great-fit land

Regions with the most suitable land

  1. 1

    🇧🇷Pará, Brazil

    Great fit on 637k km² (246k sq mi)

    For example Belém (100), Ananindeua (100)

  2. 2

    🇧🇷Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Great fit on 564k km² (218k sq mi)

    For example Belo Horizonte (100), Uberlândia (100)

  3. 3

    🇧🇷Amazonas, Brazil

    Great fit on 564k km² (218k sq mi)

    For example Manaus (100), Itacoatiara (100)

  4. 4

    🇺🇸Texas, United States

    Great fit on 520k km² (201k sq mi)

    For example Houston (100), Corpus Christi (100)

  5. 5

    🇨🇳Xinjiang, China

    Great fit on 435k km² (168k sq mi) · worth a try on 22k km² (8,400 sq mi) · mostly with irrigation

    For example Ürümqi (100), Shihezi (100)

  6. 6

    🇮🇳Madhya Pradesh, India

    Great fit on 316k km² (122k sq mi)

    For example Indore (100), Bhopal (100)

  7. 7

    🇮🇳Maharashtra, India

    Great fit on 313k km² (121k sq mi)

    For example Mumbai (100), Pune (100)

  8. 8

    🇮🇳Rajasthan, India

    Great fit on 311k km² (120k sq mi)

    For example Jaipur (100), Kota (100)

  9. 9

    🇨🇳Yunnan, China

    Great fit on 308k km² (119k sq mi) · worth a try on 13k km² (5,100 sq mi)

    For example Kunming (100), Qujing (100)

  10. 10

    🇦🇷Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Great fit on 305k km² (118k sq mi)

    For example Avellaneda (100), Merlo (100)

  11. 11

    🇺🇸California, United States

    Great fit on 288k km² (111k sq mi) · worth a try on 30k km² (12k sq mi) · mostly with irrigation

    For example Redding (100), Los Angeles (100)

  12. 12

    🇨🇳Heilongjiang, China

    Great fit on 280k km² (108k sq mi) · worth a try on 77k km² (30k sq mi)

    For example Harbin (100), Zhaozhou (100)

  13. 13

    🇪🇹Oromiya, Ethiopia

    Great fit on 278k km² (107k sq mi) · worth a try on 7,700 km² (3,000 sq mi)

    For example Nazrēt (100), Jimma (100)

  14. 14

    🇵🇰Balochistan, Pakistan

    Great fit on 260k km² (101k sq mi) · mostly with irrigation

    For example Quetta (100), Khuzdar (100)

  15. 15

    🇦🇺New South Wales, Australia

    Great fit on 211k km² (81k sq mi) · worth a try on 600 km² (200 sq mi)

    For example Sydney (100), Newcastle (100)

Regions are states and provinces, counting land within 75 km of a town. At most three per country, so the list covers the world.

By country

  • 🇧🇷Brazil6.0M km² (2.3M sq mi) · 100% of its land
  • 🇺🇸United States4.9M km² (1.9M sq mi) · 88% of its land
  • 🇨🇳China4.6M km² (1.8M sq mi) · 82% of its land
  • 🇮🇳India3.1M km² (1.2M sq mi) · 97% of its land
  • 🇲🇽Mexico1.6M km² (611k sq mi) · 98% of its land
  • 🇮🇩Indonesia1.6M km² (599k sq mi) · 99% of its land
  • 🇮🇷Iran1.4M km² (537k sq mi) · 100% of its land
  • 🇦🇷Argentina1.4M km² (531k sq mi) · 87% of its land
  • 🇷🇺Russia1.3M km² (505k sq mi) · 26% of its land
  • 🇨🇩Democratic Republic of the Congo1.1M km² (434k sq mi) · 100% of its land

Best-suited towns

  1. 100%fit

    Suqian

    🇨🇳 Jiangsu, China

  2. 100%fit

    Bắc Từ Liêm

    🇻🇳 Hanoi, Vietnam

  3. 100%fit

    Tshikapa

    🇨🇩 Kasai, Democratic Republic of the Congo

  4. 100%fit

    Nanning

    🇨🇳 Guangxi, China

  5. 100%fit

    Xinyi

    🇨🇳 Jiangsu, China

  6. 100%fit

    Wenchang

    🇨🇳 Hainan, China

  7. 100%fit

    Tai’an

    🇨🇳 Shandong, China

  8. 100%fit

    Guwahati

    🇮🇳 Assam, India

  9. 100%fit

    Tungi

    🇧🇩 Dhaka Division, Bangladesh

  10. 100%fit

    Mbuji-Mayi

    🇨🇩 East Kasai, Democratic Republic of the Congo

  11. 100%fit

    Maceió

    🇧🇷 Alagoas, Brazil

  12. 100%fit

    Kobe

    🇯🇵 Hyōgo, Japan

The most comfortable fits among the 2,000 biggest towns, two per region.

What maize (corn) needs

Growing-season average
Ideal 64–86°F (18–30°C)Won't grow below 54°F (12°C) or above 97°F (36°C)
Coldest growing-season night (monthly average)
Ideal at least 50°F (10°C)Won't grow below 39°F (4°C)
Growing-season rain
Ideal 16–35 in (400–900 mm)Won't grow below 7.9 in (200 mm) or above 59 in (1,500 mm)
Degree days above 50°F (10°C)
Ideal at least 1,980 °F·days (1,100 °C·days)Won't grow below 1,260 °F·days (700 °C·days)

Hybrids are matched to season length by relative maturity. Heat over ~35 °C at silking hurts pollination.

Sources: FAO ECOCROP: Zea mays; FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 33 (Doorenbos & Kassam 1979, Yield response to water). Ranges not yet reviewed by an agronomist.

What stops it elsewhere

  • Growing season too cool61%
  • Nights too cold in the growing season21%
  • Not enough summer heat18%

Share of the land scoring under 50, by what holds it back most.

How this map works

Every 28 km square of land is scored 0–100 against the requirements above, using 1991–2020 monthly climate averages with frost, chill and heat estimated by simulating daily weather. Each square is scored with whichever variety fits it best. “With irrigation” ignores rain shortfalls; “Rain-fed only” counts them.

Climate is only part of it: soil, slope, water and markets decide where a crop is actually farmed. Use this to shortlist places, then check them locally.

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