Growth, yield and quality of sweet corn (Zea mays saccharata L.) as influenced by sowing dates and spacing
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Date
2015
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SKUAST Kashmir
Abstract
The field experiment entitled “Growth, yield and quality of sweet corn (Zea mays saccharata L.) as influenced by sowing dates and spacing” was carried at SKUAST-K, Shalimar during kharif season 2014. Sweet corn cv. Misthi was chosen for the study. The experiment comprised of two factors with four sowing dates viz. 24th May (D1), 2nd June (D2), 11th June (D3) and 19th June (D4) as main-plot treatments and three plant spacing viz. 60 × 20 cm (S1), 70 × 20 cm (S2) and 80 × 20 cm (S3) as sub-plot treatments replicated thrice. Results of the experiment revealed that 24th May (D1) sowing recorded significantly highest plant height, number of functional leaves, leaf area index and dry matter accumulation as compared to other sowing dates. Among, plant spacing 80 × 20 cm recorded highest plant height followed by 70 × 20 cm, whereas 60 × 20 cm recorded significantly lowest plant height and leaf area index and dry matter accumulation which was significantly superior at 60 × 20 cm than 70 × 20 cm and 80 × 20 cm. Sowing sweet corn on 24th May (D1) recorded more number of days taken to tasseling, silking and harvesting followed by 2nd June (D2) sowing whereas, the lowest number of days taken to tasseling, silking and milking was recorded on 19th June (D4). Plant spacing of 80 × 20 cm (S3) measured highest number of days taken to tasseling, silking and harvesting whereas, spacing of 60 × 20 cm (S1) recorded lowest number of days taken to tasseling, silking and haresting.
Yield attributes like number of cobs plant-1, cob girth, cob length and cob weight with and without husk were found highest in 24th May (D1) sowing which resulted in significantly highest sweet corn yield with husk (133.10 q ha-1) and without husk (108.83 q ha-1) and green fodder yield (256.11 q ha-1) whereas lowest corn yield with husk (66.17 q ha-1) and without husk (51.60 q ha-1) and green fodder yield (241.22 q ha-1) were recorded in 19th June (D4) sowing of sweet corn. Plant spacing of 60 × 20 cm (S1) recorded significantly highest sweet corn yield with husk (126.53 q ha-1) and without husk (100.55 q ha-1) and green fodder yield (243.41q ha-1) as compared to 70 × 20 cm (S2) and 80 × 20 cm (S3). Quality parameters viz. protein content, TSS (cob and fodder), vitamin C and vitamin A were not affected by different sowing dates and plant spacing. The economic analysis showed that highest net profit and benefit cost ratio of 371520.82 and 4.76 was recorded by sowing sweet corn with 24th May (D1) with a plant spacing of 60 cm × 20 cm (S1) whereas lowest net profit and benefit cost ratio of 89308.21 and 1.14 was recorded by sowing sweet corn with 19th June (D4) with a plant spacing of 80 cm × 20 cm (S3).
Description
M.Sc Thesis submitted to SKUAST Kashmir
Keywords
Sweet corn, economics, sowing dates and yield, Agronomy