Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth, Yield, Nutrient Uptake, Nutrient Use Efficiencies and Economics of Baby Corn (Zea mays. L): A Review

Abstract

A young, unfertilized, dehusked maize ear that has just started to multiply is called baby corn (the baby phase of the maize cob). It is usually harvested when the silk is between two and three cm long, two to three days following silking. Depending on the agro-climatic circumstances, baby maize can be grown three to four times a year after maturing for 60 to 75 days. As a pre-kharif crop with a brief growing phase, baby maize provides a distinct benefit by making use of fields that would otherwise stay fallow during the periods when rice and wheat are turning over. Higherearnings can be made from the early harvest and selling of baby maize ears. Additionally, untranslocated photosynthates remaining in the green stover can be used as a good source of nutrient-rich green fodder for live stock, which boosts the production of dairy products and meat.
 As the crop with the highest nutritional content, baby maize needs exceptionally high-quality nutrients to be used efficiently and to increase yield. Although the production of baby corn can be increased by applying artificial fertiliser, doing so will eventually compromise the sustainability of the expanding field. Furthermore, farmers' financial stability and soil health can be preserved by replacing a portion of chemical fertilisers with organic sources of nutrients. However, the replacement of 25% and 50% of the nitrogen with organic sources (FYM/Vermicompost/Poultry Manure) had a greater positive impact on the production of baby maize, the yield of fodder, the quality and economics of the nutrient uptake, and the soil fertility status.