Influence of Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth and Yield of Sweet Corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) under Temperate Conditions of Kashmir Valley

Abstract

The growth and yield response of sweet maize (Zea mays (L.) saccharata) to varying levels of organic and inorganic fertilizers during the growing seasons of kharif 2010 and 2011 was studied under temperate conditions of Kashmir Valley. Twelve treatments comprising of sole and combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers were laid in a randomized block design with three replications. The results revealed that application of T10 [75% (NPK) + FYM (4.5 t/ha) + Biofertilizer (Azotobacter + Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB))] significantly increased the number of days taken to tasseling, silking and milky stages and various other growth characters viz., plant height, leaf area index and dry matter accumulation at 15 days interval from sowing upto harvest and crop growth rate and relative growth rate at 7 days interval from 15 DAS upto harvest whereas, the lowest values of these parameters were recorded in unfertilized control. The treatment T10[75 % (NPK) + FYM (4.5 t/ha) + Biofertilizer (Azotobacter + Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB))] proved to be significantly superior to rest of the treatments including unfertilized control in increasing cob yield with and without husk, fodder yield and green biomass yield during both years of experimentation, however, ratio of cob to fodder yield during 2011 and 2012 were recorded highest in treatment T3 [FYM (18 t ha-1)] and T2 [Recommended NPK kg ha-1 (90:60:40)], respectively, whereas unfertilized control recorded the lowest ratio of cob to fodder yield.