Integrated Effects of Plant Growth Regulators and Organic Manures on Growth and Yield of Baby Corn (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season of 2022 at the Crop Research Farm, Sahaspur, Dehradun to evaluate the impact of plant growth regulators (PGRs) and organic manures on the growth and yield performance of baby corn (Zea mays L.). The study comprised ten treatment combinations, including three PGRs (Seaweed extract, GA₃, and NAA) and three organic manures (FYM, goat manure, and vermicompost), with a recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) serving as the control. The treatments were arranged in a randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. Among all treatments, the foliar application of NAA at 30 ppm combined with the basal application of vermicompost at 4.46 t/ha recorded the highest plant height (189.57 cm), dry matter accumulation (97.47 g/plant), enhanced cob traits, maximum green cob yield (6.82 t/ha), and a harvest index of 33.07%, significantly outperforming the RDF control. These findings suggest a strong synergistic effect between NAA and vermicompost in promoting the overall growth and yield of baby corn.