International Journal of Environment and Climate Change

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

Tanveer Ahmad Ahngar *

Division of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura, SKUAST-K, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Zahida Rashid

Dryland Agriculture Research Station, Rangreth, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Raies A. Bhat

Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Shaista Nazir

Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Horticulture, Shalimar, SKUAST-K, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Suhail Fayaz

School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India.

Rifat Un Nisa

Division of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura, SKUAST-K, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Sabeena Nasseer

Dryland Agriculture Research Station, Rangreth, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Shabeena Majid

Dryland Agriculture Research Station, Rangreth, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Sabiya Bashir

Division of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Horticulture, Shalimar, SKUAST-K, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Z. A. Dar

Dryland Agriculture Research Station, Rangreth, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

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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., 18^th  Standard Meteorological Week ((SMW) (30^th April - 6^th May)), 21^st SMW (21^st May – 27^th May), 24^th SMW (11^th June – 17^th June) and 27^th SMW (2^nd July – 8^th 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, 18^th 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.

Keywords: Baby corn, sowing dates, growth and fertility levels

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