Nitrogen management in baby corn (Zea mays)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59797/ija.v52i2.4909Keywords:
Baby corn, N dose, N uptake, N-use efficiency, ProductivityAbstract
A field experiment was conducted during the rainy season of 2002 and 2003 at Bhubaneshwar, Orissa to study the effect of nitrogen levels (40, 80 and 120 kg Nlha) and timing of nitrogen application [M basal + '/2 at 25 days af- ter sowing (DAS), lI3 + Y3 at 25 DAS M basal + '/4 at 25 days + '/4 at pre-tasselling (40 DAS) and ' 1, basal + ' 1, basal at 25 DAS + 113 at pre-tasselling] along with no-nitrogen (control) on productivity and nitrogen-use efficiency of baby corn (Zea mays L.). Growth, yield attributes, baby corn yield, nitrogen content and uptake, protein content and yield, net return and benefit : cost ratio increased significantly up to 120 kg Nlha. The differences between 80 and 40 kg Nlha were also significant. Nitrogen application in 3 equal splits as ' 1, basal + 11, at 25 DAS + 'I3 at pre- tasselling (40 DAS) resulted in significantly higher growth, yield attributes, marketable baby corn yield, green fod- der yield with lowest discarded baby corn, maximizing net return, benefit : cost ratio, nitrogen content, uptake, pro- tein content and yield than other schedules of N application. The apparent N recovery was the highest at 120 kg NI ha, whereas physiological and agronomic use efficiency progressively decreased with increasing nitrogen levels. Nitrogen applied in 3 equal splits resulted in the highest N recovery and agronomic use efficiency, while physi- ological efficiency of N was maximum when N was applied in 2 splits.References
Indian Journal of Agronomy 52 (2) : 135-138 (June 2007)
Nitrogen management in baby corn (Zea mays)
ANITA BINDHANI1, K.C. BARIK*, L.M. GARNAYAK AND P.K. MAHAPATRA
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa 751 003
Received :November 2005
A field experiment was conducted during the rainy season of 2002 and 2003 at Bhubaneshwar, Orissa to study the effect of nitrogen levels (40, 80 and 120 kg Nlha) and timing of nitrogen application [M basal + '/2 at 25 days af- ter sowing (DAS), lI3basal + Y3 at 25 DAS M basal + '/4 at 25 days + '/4 at pre-tasselling (40 DAS) and '1, basal + '1, at 25 DAS + 113 at pre-tasselling] along with no-nitrogen (control) on productivity and nitrogen-use efficiency of baby corn (Zea mays L.). Growth, yield attributes, baby corn yield, nitrogen content and uptake, protein content and yield, net return and benefit : cost ratio increased significantly up to 120 kg Nlha. The differences between 80 and 40 kg Nlha were also significant. Nitrogen application in 3 equal splits as '1, basal + 11, at 25 DAS + 'I3at pre- tasselling (40 DAS) resulted in significantly higher growth, yield attributes, marketable baby corn yield, green fod- der yield with lowest discarded baby corn, maximizing net return, benefit :cost ratio, nitrogen content, uptake, pro- tein content and yield than other schedules of N application. The apparent N recovery was the highest at 120 kg NI ha, whereas physiological and agronomic use efficiency progressively decreased with increasing nitrogen levels. Nitrogen applied in 3 equal splits resulted in the highest N recovery and agronomic use efficiency, while physi- ological efficiency of N was maximum when N was applied in 2 splits.
Key words :Baby corn, N dose, N uptake, N-use efficiency, Productivity
Baby corn cultivation provides tremendous avenues for MATERIALS AND METHODS
crop diversification, value addition and revenue generation as this new vegetable is becoming increasingly popular among progressive farmers around big cities. Maize is an exhaustive crop and requires high quantities of nitrogen during the periods of efficient utilization, particularly at 25 days after sowing and pre-tasselling (40 days after sowing) stages for higher productivity. The acidic rainfed upland soils of Orissa are generally low in organic matter, where application of N fertilizer is highly necessary to meet the N requirement of maize to achieve optimum productivity. At the same time, the recovery of applied nitrogen in rainfed maize is very less due to various losses and local crop-management practices. Optimization of applied N at critical growth stages coinciding with periods of efficient utilization are the modem approaches for improving the N-use efficiencies in rainy season maize (Luikhan et al., 2003). Since baby corn is a new crop, not much is known regarding its nitrogen nutrition. Keeping this in view, the experiment was laid out to assess the nitrogen requirement and its best timing of application for higher yield.
*Corresaonding author (Email: [email protected])
A field experiment was conducted in the sub-humid agro-climate of east and south-eastern coastal plain zone of Orissa at Central Research Station of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneshwar, during the wet season of 2002 and 2003. The experimental soil was sandy loam, acidic (pH 5.7), low in organic carbon (0.37%) and available N (235 kgha) and medium in avail- able P (21.7 kgha) and K (203.7 kgha). Twelve treatment combinations comprising 3 N levels, viz. 40, 80 and 120 kg Nha, and 4 schedules of nitrogen application, viz. T,, 95basal + 95at 25 days after sowing; T,, 'I,basal + 213at 25 days after sowing; T,, ?hbasal + ?Aat 25 days after sowing + ?Aat pre-taselling (40 days after sowing); T,, 'I3basal + 'I,at 25 days after sowing + I/, at pre-tasselling along with no-nitrogen (control) were tested in randomized block de- sign with three replications.
Early composite maize 'Navjot' was sown on 16 June 2002 and 18 June 2003 at a spacing of 40 cm x 20 cm. A common basal dose of 26.2 kg P and 33.3 kg Kha and N as per the treatments were applied. The tassels were pulled out on their emergence to prevent pollination. Baby corn
Present address :'Krishi Mgyan Kendra, Gambharipali, Larambha, Bargarh, Orissa 768 102 BINDHANI ET AL. [Vol. 52, No. 2
was harvested just after emergence of white silk. The crop received 1 145.6 and 1,253.8 rnrn rainfall during 2002 and 2003, respectively, and experienced moisture deficit for a period of 7 and 10 days coinciding with knee-high and pre-tasselling stages in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Bio- metric observations were recorded at harvest (60 days af- ter sowing). Nitrogen content was determined and uptake *. was calculated by multiplying the content with the dry- matter yield of fodder and baby corn. Protein content in baby corn was estimated by multiplying the N content with 6.25. The efficiency parameters related to applied ni- trogen usages in baby corn were calculated using stand procedures where F, fertilizer plot and C, control plot.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Nitrogen level
Nitrogen levels significantly influenced the plant height, dry matter and leaf-area index of baby corn (Table 1). Application of 120 kgka resulted in tallest plant with maximum dry matter yield and leaf-area index, which were significantly higher than those at remaining N levels. A significant increase in marketable baby cornslplant, their fresh weight, length and girth were also recorded up to 120 kg Nka. Application of 120 kg Nka resulted in the highest baby corn yield, which was 28.6,52.2 and 178.7% higher than that of 80, 40 kg Nlha and the no-nitrogen (control), respectively, with the corresponding decrease in discarded baby corn yield by 25.4, 38.6 and 73.3%. The green fodder yield followed similar trend as that of baby corn yield. This result confirms the finding of Sunder Singh (2001). Net return and benefit :cost ratio were the highest with 120 kg Nka, which resulted in significant in- crease of 289.2, 69.8 and 39.1% in net return and 235.2,
7 and 34.1% in benefit :cost ratio compared to that of the no-nitrogen (control), and 40 and 80 kg Nka respec- tively. The nitrogen content both in baby corn and green fodder increased significantly with increasing N levels, resulting in increase of 1.48, 1.72 and 2.59% in baby corn, and 0.66,0.88 and 1.1 1% in green fodder than that of 40 and 80 kg Nka and the no-nitrogen (control) respectively. Application of 120 kg Nka resulted in significantly high- est nitrogen uptake in baby corn resulting in increase of
6 and 233.3% in baby corn, and 697.9 and 211.7% in green fodder over that of 40 and 80 kg Nka, respectively, due to increase in both N content and respective yields. The protein content and yield were also maximum at 120 kg Nlha, confirming the results of Lang et al. (1996) in corn and of Kar et al. (2006) in sweet corn that nitrogen in corn plants is associated with the metabolism of protein. Nitrogen-harvest index, the proportion of nitrogen di- verted to baby corn, was not significant with increasing levels of nitrogen application. This trend seems to be due to fact that with increasing levels of nitrogen applications, N uptake increased in baby corn but it was more in green fodder than baby corn. However, the difference between control versus rest of the N effects for nitrogen-harvest
Table 1. Effect of nitrogen application on growth, yield and economics of baby corn (pooled over 2002 and 2003)
Treatment Plant Dry matter Leaf-Baby Baby Marketable Discarded Green Gross Net Benefit :
height yield area corn corn baby baby fodder returns returns cost
(cm) (kgha) index length girth corn corn yield (Rsha) (Rsha) ratio
(cm) (cm) yield yield (kgha)
(kgha) (kgha)
Nitrogen level (kg N/ha)
CD (P=0.05) 7.4
Timing of N application*
CD (P=0.05) 8.4
Control 56.8
Rest 129.1
CD (P=0.05) 10.7
*Treatment details are given in Materials &Methods
June 20071 NITROGEN MANAGEMENT IN BABY CORN
index was found significant. Physiological efficiency and agronomic use efficiency of nitrogen by baby corn were also highest with 40 kg Nha and progressively decreased with increasing levels of N application. This is because of low proportion of N was taken up and used by baby corn (20%) compared to that in succulent green fodder. So, a sizeable portion of N taken up by the'crop largely utilized for green fodder production than that of the young unfer- tilized baby corn harvested 1-2 days after silking. How- ever, the apparent N recovery increased with increasing levels of N up to 120 kg Nha because a sizeable propor- tion of applied fertilizer N is not lost but largely taken up by the plant for both baby corn and green fodder produc- tion.
Timing of N application
Application of N in 3 equal splits, viz. basal, 25days af-ter sowing and pre-tasselling (40 days after sowing) stages, resulted in significantly tallest plants, maximum dry matter yield, leaf-area index, baby cornslplant, their fresh weight, length and girth compared to the other schedules of N application (Table 1). Nitrogen applied in 3 equal splits ('13 basal + 'I3 at 25 days after sowing + 113 at pre-tasselling) recorded significantly highest baby corn yield and green fodder yield, resulting in 18.1, 10.7, 8.0%; and 44.3,26.7 and 17.2% increase over the other N sched- ules of ?hbasal + ?hat knee-high, 'I3 basal + 2/3 at 25 days after sowing, and ?hbasal + '/4 at 25 days after sowing + '/4 at pre tasselling stakes respectively. The discarded baby corn yield was maximum when nitrogen was applied in 2 splits. Net return and benefit :cost were also maximum with the application of N in 3 equal splits. Net return in- creased significantly by 26.0, 14.8 and 10.3% and benefit :cost ratio by 23.8, 13.0 and 10.6% compared to ?hbasal
+ ?h at 25 days after sowing, 'I3 basal + 213 at 25 days after sowing and ?hbasal + % at 25 days after sowing + 94 at pre tasselling schedules of N application respectively. Nitro- gen applied in 3 equal splits significantly increased N con- tent and uptake both in baby corn and green fodder respec- tively (Table 2). The protein content and protein yield also followed the similar trend as that of nitrogen content and uptake. However, the different schedules of N application could not influence the nitrogen harvest index in baby corn, as the nitrogen uptake was more in favour of green fodder due to shift in N absorption as young baby cobs were harvested 1-2 days after silking just before fertiliza- tion. The apparent N recovery and agronomic use effi- ciency were the highest, while the physiological efficiency of nitrogen was the lowest when N was applied in 3 equal splits at basal, 25 days after sowing and pre-tasselling stages compared to other schedules of N application dur- ing rainy season in baby corn.
Interaction effect
The interaction effect (Table 3) between nitrogen level and timing of N application revealed that the dry-matter
Table 2. Effect of level and timing of N application on N content, uptake and use efficiency of applied N (pooled mean of 2002 and 2003)
Treatment Nitrogen content (%) Total Nitrogen Protein Protein Physiological Apparent Agronomic
Baby Green nitrogen harvest content yield efficiency N use
corn fodder uptake index in baby (kgha) (kgkg N recovery efficiency
(kgha) (%I corn (%) uptake) (%I (kgkg N
Nitrogen level (kg Nha)
CD (P=0.05)
Timing of N application*
CD @'=0.05)
CD (P=0.05)
*Details are given in Materials and Methods 138
