GROWTH, YIELD AND ECONOMICS OF BABY CORN (Zea mays L.) AS INFLUENCED BY PLANT POPULATION AND INTEGRATED NITROGEN MANAGEMENT

S. RAVICHANDRAN¹*, R. SURESHKUMAR², V. HARIHARASUTHAN^3
1Department of Agronomy, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, India
²Department of Agronomy, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, India
³Department of Agronomy, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, India
* Corresponding Author : sibiravi81@rediffmail.com

Received : 02-09-2016     Accepted : 02-10-2016     Published : 01-11-2016
Volume : 8     Issue : 53       Pages : 2774 - 2776
Int J Agr Sci 8.53 (2016):2774-2776

Keywords : Farm yard manure, DMP, Husked bay corn, Dehusked baby corn
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : None declared
Author Contribution : None declared

Two Field experiments were conducted during Kharif and Rabi seasons respectively in 2004 to study the effect of plant population and integrated nitrogen management on yield and quality of baby corn. The experiments were laid out in split plot design with three replication. The treatments comprised of three different plant populations of high, low, medium with a spacing of 45 x 15 cm (higher population), 45 x 30 cm (low population) and 60 x 15 cm (medium population) respectively and seven integrated nitrogen management practices viz., 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) N (150 kg ha-1) and FYM (12.5 t ha-1), 75% RDF N plus 25% N substitution through FYM along with FYM @ 12.5 t ha-1, 50% RDF N plus 50% N substitution through FYM along with FYM @ 12.5 t ha-1, 100% RDF N alone, 75% RDF N alone, 50% RDF N alone and without fertilizer N and FYM application (Control). The growth characters were found higher under low plant population and the LAI and DMP were higher in 45 x 15 cm at 60 DAS during both kharif and rabi seasons. Among the integrated nitrogen management practices, application of 100% recommended dose of fertilizer N and 12.5 t of FYM enhanced all the growth characters of baby corn at 60 DAS of observation during both the seasons. Higher husked baby corn and fodder yield were produced in higher plant population combined with 100% RDF N and 12.5 t ha-1 FYM during both the seasons.