Effect of Sowing Dates and Fertility Levels on Growth of Baby Corn (Zea mays L.) under Temperate Conditions

Abstract

There are several factors affecting the growth of maize; however, the optimum date of sowing is important for maize so that the crop grown can complete its life cycle under optimum environmental conditions and managing the fertilizer is one of the most important factors affecting maize growth. A field experiment was conducted to study the “effect of sowing dates and fertility levels on growth of Baby corn (Zea mays L.) under temperate condition” during Kharif 2018. The experiment comprised of two factors with four sowing dates viz., 18th  Standard Meteorological Week ((SMW) (30th April - 6th May)), 21st SMW (21st May – 27th May), 24th SMW (11th June – 17th June) and 27th SMW (2nd July – 8th July) as main plot treatments and four fertility levels viz., unfertilized control (F0), 100:50:25 N:P2O5:K2O kg ha-1 (F1), 120:60:30 N:P2O5:K2O kg ha-1 (F2) and 140:70:35 N:P2O5:K2O kg ha-1 (F3) as sub-plot treatments laid out in split plot design with three replications. The results of the experiment revealed that growth baby corn was significantly influenced by sowing dates and fertility levels, among different sowing dates, 18th SMW (Standard Meteorological Week) recorded significantly higher growth and among different fertility levels F3 fertility level (140:70:35 N: P2O5: K2O kg ha-1) recorded significantly higher growth than other fertility levels.