PERFORMANCE OF SWEET CORN (ZEA MAYS L. Ssp. SACCHARATA) VARIETIES AT VARIYING FERTILITY LEVELS
S.K. DHAKA, DILIP SINGH, V. NEPALIA SULOCHANA and J. DHEWA
Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur-313001(Raj.)
*(e-mail: dilipagron@gmail.com)
(Received: 16 June 2014; Accepted:29 November 2014)
SUMMARY
A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2013 to select best sweet corn variety for green cobs, green fodder and to evaluate optimum fertility levels. The treatment consisted combinations of four sweet corn varieties (Madhuri, Hi-Brix-51, Misthi, and Sugar-75) and four fertility fertilizer levels (70 + 30, 90 + 40, 110 + 50 and 130 + 60 kg N + P2O5 ha-1). With highest green cobs (92.9 q/ha), green fodder yield (204.0 q/ha), its total digestible nutrient (90.8 %), total soluble solids of grain of green fodder (12.48%), protein (4.91%), green cobs yield (126.9), net returns (94081 ` ha-1) and B:C ratio (4.9), the sweet corn variety “Sugar-75” proved economically profitable. The N and P uptake by grain and stover of “Sugar-75” were significantly higher over rest of varieties. At harvest, sweet corn varieties failed to influence P status of soil, however, N status significantly decrease in “Sugar-75” compared to rest of the varieties. Application of 90 kg N + 40 kg P2O5/ha economically proved optimum profitable dose for green cobs, fodder and its quality. Further increase in fertility level failed to influence these parameters significantly. Phosphorus status of soil did not influenced significantly under different fertility level, however, nitrogen status of soil increase with increasing level of nitrogen.
Key words: Sweet corn, green fodder and cob yields, fertility levels and economics