VENKATESWARLU, BSAI KRISHNA, M2020-02-282020-02-282019http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810143868D5909A field experiment entitled “Studies on Zinc fortification in Baby corn” was carried out during kharif, 2018–19 on a clay soil at the Agricultural College Farm, Bapatla. The treatments consist of soil and foliar application of zinc sulphate and were laid out in Randomized block design with three replications. Details of the treatments are as follows:- T1: Control (no zinc), T2: Foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.2% at 15 DAS, T3: Foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.2% at 30 DAS, T4: Foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.2% at 15 DAS and at 30 DAS, T5: Soil application ZnSO4 @ 12.5 kg ha-1, T6: T5+ foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.2% at 15 DAS, T7: T5+foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.2% at 30 DAS, T8: T5+foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.2% at 15 DAS and 30 DAS, T9: Soil application of ZnSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1, T10: T9+ foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.2% at 15 DAS, T11: T9+foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.2% at 30 DAS and T12: T9+foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.2% at 15 DAS and 30 DAS. Soil application of ZnSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1 + foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.2% at 15 DAS and 30 DAS i.e. T12 treatment recorded significantly the highest plant height, drymatter accumulation and per day productivity at 20, 40 DAS and at harvest and was on a par with soil application of zinc sulphate @ 25 kg ha-1 as basal + foliar spray of zinc sulphate @ 0.2% at 30 DAS i.e. T11, soil application of zinc sulphate @ 25 kg ha-1 as basal + foliar spray of zinc sulphate @ 0.2% at 15 DAS i.e. T10 and soil application of zinc sulphate @ 25 kg ha-1 i.e. T9. However, T12 was significantly superior over rest of the treatments. The lowest plant height, drymatter accumulation and per day productivity were registered in control treatment. xv Among the different zinc fertilization treatments, T12 treatment i.e. soil application of zinc sulphate @ 25 kg ha-1 + foliar spray of zinc sulphate @ 0.2% at 15 & 30 DAS was taken lower number of days (44) to 50% tasseling and days to harvest (49) which was comparable with T11, T10,T9,T8,T7, T6 and T5 treatments. While the highest number of days (55) and (60) for 50% tasseling and days to harvest were registered by the control treatment. Yield attributing characters like length, girth, ear weight with husk, ear weight without husk, husk percentage, density of ear, green and dry fodder yield were significantly the highest with soil application of zinc sulphate @ 25 kg ha-1 + foliar spray of zinc sulphate @ 0.2% at 15 & 30 DAS (T12) and the lowest was from control treatment. The highest corn yield (10,000 kg ha-1) was found with the soil application of zinc sulphate @ 25 kg ha-1 + foliar spray of zinc sulphate @ 0.2% at 15 & 30 DAS and the lowest (6892 kg ha-1) was recorded from control. Among the treatments tested, soil application of zinc sulphate @ 25 kg ha-1 + foliar spray of zinc sulphate @ 0.2% at 15 & 30 DAS (T12) had recorded the highest green and dry fodder yield. Significantly the lowest yield was observed in control. The highest crude protein, ash and sugar content in plant and ear were obtained with soil application of zinc sulphate @ 25 kg ha-1+ foliar spray of zinc sulphate @ 0.2% at 15 & 30 DAS (T12). Whereas the lowest were recorded in control. However, the crude fibre content was the highest in control treatment and the lowest value was registered in T12 treatment. Zinc content in plant at 30, 40 DAS and at harvest in plant and ear at harvest was influenced significantly by T12 treatment with soil application of zinc sulphate @ 25 kg ha-1 + foliar spray of zinc sulphate @ 0.2% at 15 & 30 DAS and the lowest was registered by the control treatment. Significantly the highest available zinc in soil after harvest was recorded from T12 treatment. Whereas, the lowest was found in control. The highest net return and B:C ratio was found from soil application of zinc sulphate @ 25 kg ha-1 + foliar spray of zinc sulphate @ 0.2% at 15 & 30 DAS i.e. T12 treatment. Applying 12.5 kg ZnSO4 to soil alone (T5) also resulted in economically viable B:C ratio that was statistically comparable with T12 treatment.en-USnullThesis