One Plant, 28 Cobs! Rare Maize Phenomenon In MP's Sardarpur Draws Crowds, Baffles Agricultural Expert

Sardarpur (Madhya Pradesh): A rare agricultural phenomenon has surfaced in Chirakhan village, 35 km from Sardarpur tehsil headquarters, where a single maize plant has produced 28 cobs, drawing curious crowds from surrounding areas.

Farmer Ashok Kumar Jaiswal had planted around 400 maize plants in his 100-by-60-yard yard. While checking on the crop, he noticed one plant bearing an unusually large cluster of cobs, resembling a bunch of bananas.

On counting, he found 28 cobs growing on the single stalk, a sight he says he has never witnessed in his 25 years of farming, including the years he spent working alongside his late father.

News of the discovery spread quickly through Chirakhan and nearby villages, with farmers and residents now visiting daily to see the plant for themselves.

Dhar district agricultural scientist Dhan Singh Mandloi expressed surprise, stating that no maize variety in India has ever recorded such a yield on a single plant.

He noted that a similar case in the United States, involving 20 to 22 cobs on one plant, had reportedly been recognised in the Guinness Book of Records decades ago, a mark this plant appears to have exceeded.

Mandloi said that with only one such plant among 400, identifying a scientific cause would be challenging even with lab testing.

He plans to consult senior experts in Delhi and visit the site personally and has advised Jaiswal to support the plant with bamboo until researchers examine it.