Effect of Seed Inoculation and Seaweed Extract on Growth and Yield of Baby-corn (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during Zaid, 2022 at Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, SHUATS, Prayagraj (U.P), India. The soil of the experimental plot was sandy loam in texture, nearly neutral in soil reaction (pH 7.1), organic carbon (0.69%), available N (271.81 kg/ha), available P (30.19 kg/ha), and available K (331 kg/ha). The treatments comprised of seed inoculation of bio-fertilizer and foliar application of Seaweed Extract Kappaphycus alvarezii (K. sap). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with nine treatments each replicated thrice for 60 days. The results showed that viz: Plant height (167.50 cm), plant dry weight (116.69 g/plant) were recorded significantly higher in Azotobacter Seed Inoculation along with 15% K.sap spray. Number of cobs per plant (1.38), cob length with husk (21.40 cm), cob length without husk (8.36 cm), cob girth with husk (8.45 cm), cob girth without husk (5.83 cm), cob weight with husk (68.09 g), cob weight without husk (25.53 g), cob yield with husk (16.20 t/ha), cob yield without husk (5.68 t/ha), green fodder yield (31.05 t/ha) were recorded significantly higher. Thus, biofertilizer with foliar application of Seaweed Extract (K. sap) could be a promising option for yield enhancement in baby-corn.