Growth, productivity and quality of sweet corn in response to irrigation scheduling and nutrient management practices in Vertisols of Marathwada region

Abstract

Water is the most valuable natural resource for agriculture. Appropriate time for using of irrigation water and the balanced use of NPK with zinc to enhance effective crop productivity and quality of sweet corn at commercial level due to increase demand. In this regard, a field experiment was carried out during the rainy (kharif) seasons of 2016–17 and 2017–18 at the instructional/research farm of MGM college of Agricultural Biotechnology, Aurangabad, Maharashtra to evaluate the growth, quality and yield performance of sweet corn green fodder (cv. Sugar-75) under different irrigation scheduling and nutrient management practices. The treatments comprised of four irrigation scheduling viz., I1: Two irrigations at knee height and tasseling stage, I2: three irrigations at knee height, tasseling and early dough stage, I3: Four irrigations at knee height, tasseling, silking and early dough stage in main plot. The sub-plots comprised of three fertility levels viz., NPK1: 120:60:60 kg NPK/ha, NPK2: 150:75:75 kg NPK/ha, NPK3: 180:90:90 kg NPK/ha) and two methods of zinc application viz., Zn1: Soil application @ 25kg/ha ZnSO4.7H2O and Zn2: Seed priming @ 1% ZnSO4.7H2O) From the experimental findings, it was revealed that four irrigations at knee height, tasseling, silking and early dough stage registered higher growth attributes, total chlorophyll content and yield attributes of sweet corn. Furthermore, recorded maximum green cob yield (32.77 t/ha) and biological yield (96.38 t/ha); higher protein content (7.41%) and total digestible nutrient (93.53%) over three and two irrigations. Application of 180:90:90 kg NPK/ha recorded maximum growth attributes, total chlorophyll content, yield attributes, green cob yield (30.25 t/ha), biological yield (89.81 t/ha), protein content (7.41%) and total digestible nutrient (99.36%) as compared to 150:75:75 kg NPK/ha and 120:60:60 kg NPK/ha. Seed priming @ 1% ZnSO4.7H2O recorded higher growth attributes, total chlorophyll content, yield attributes, productivity, protein content over soil application of ZnSO4, 7H2O @ 25 kg/ha however both were at par during the study. Therefore, based on the finding it may be concluded thar four irrigation, 180:90:90 kg NPK/ha with seed priming @ 1% ZnSO4.7H2O may be recommend in vertisols of Marathwada region for getting more productivity.