EFFECTS OF VERMICOMPOST, CHEMICAL FERTILIZER AND DIFFERENT BIOPESTICIDES ON THE AGRONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS, SENSORY QUALITY AND GRAIN PHYTOCHEMICAL CONTENTS OF CORN (ZEA MAYS)

Abstract

This study was conducted to look for alternative measures to sustain the profitability of cultivating green corn by using different fertilizers and biopesticides. 2x5 factorial experiment in split-plot in Randomized Complete Block Design with four replication this was conducted at Brgy. Matikiw, Pakil Laguna fromDecember 2019 to March 2020. With the following treatments.A1 – vernicompost + urea and A2 –Chemical fertilizer, B1 – Control, B2 - Kakawate leaf extract (Gliricidiasepium), B3 - Makabuhay vine extract (Tinosporarumphii), B4 - Tagbak leave extract (Alipiniamalaccensis) and B5 - Acapulco leaf extract (Cassia alata).Result revealed that there was no interaction effect between biopesticide and fertilizer materials in growth and yield characteristics of corn plants. There is no interaction effect between biopesticide and different fertilizer materials on the growth characteristics in terms of number of days from sowing to emergence, silking to harvesting, weekly plant height and in all of parameter in yield components of green corn. The earliest emergence, earliest number of days from silking to harvesting, highest number of corn ear, highest biological yield, longest length were observed on the green corn with application of vermicompost + urea while earliest number of days from emergence to silking, tallest height, largest diameter, most number of corn kernels were observed on the green corn with application of farmers practice regardless of biopesticides. The study recommends further testing on the application of vermicompost + urea and acapulco, tagbak and kakawate leaf extracts at different levels of concentration is recommended.