Interactive Effect of Sulphur and Zinc Nutrients on Growth, Yield Attributes and Productivity of Sweet Corn (Zea mays L. saccharata Sturt) under Rainfed Conditions

Abstract

A three-year field experiment was conducted at the College Farm, College of Agriculture, Navsari Agricultural University, Bharuch, Gujarat, during the kharif seasons of 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25 to evaluate the growth, yield attributes, and productivity of sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata Sturt) under rainfed conditions. The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomised block design with three replications and nine treatment combinations comprising three sulphur levels (0, 20, and 40 kg S ha⁻¹) and three zinc levels (0, 2.5, and 5.0 kg Zn ha⁻¹). In the pooled analysis, sulphur at 40 kg S ha⁻¹ significantly increased plant population at 30 DAS, plant height at 30 DAS and harvest, number of cobs per plant, fresh grain weight per cob, average cob weight, green cob yield, and stover yield. Zinc at 5.0 kg Zn ha⁻¹ significantly improved fresh grain weight per cob, average cob weight, green cob yield, and stover yield; however, its effects on pooled plant population, plant height, and number of cobs per plant were non-significant. The sulphur × zinc interaction was non-significant for all measured variables. The highest pooled green cob and stover yields were 8.38 and 10.84 t ha⁻¹, respectively, with 40 kg S ha⁻¹, and 8.17 and 10.48 t ha⁻¹, respectively, with 5.0 kg Zn ha⁻¹. The results indicate that the observed crop responses were primarily associated with the independent effects of sulphur and zinc.