DURING the kharif season, maize (sauni-makki) used to be the most important crop in Punjab up to 1973-74, when it was cultivated on 5.67 lakh hectares (ha), followed by cotton (American and desi, 5.23 lakh ha) and paddy (parmal and basmati, 4.99 lakh ha). Both paddy and cotton overtook sauni-makki i