DEPARTMENT OF AGRONOMY INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY VARANASI INDIA

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1 EFFECT OF CULTIVARS AND NITROGEN APPLICATION ON GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF WINTER BABY CORN (Zea mays L.) Abstract of THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Doctor of Philosophy in Agronomy Supervisor Prof. S. P. Singh Submitted by Madhav Prasad Neupane DEPARTMENT OF AGRONOMY INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY VARANASI INDIA I.D. No. PA Enrolment No

2 Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi India (2014), All right reserved.

3 UNDERTAKING OF THE CANDIDATE I, Madhav Prasad Neupane, research scholar under the supervision of Dr. S. P. Singh, Professor, Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu, University, give undertaking that thesis entitled Effect of cultivars and nitrogen application on growth, yield and quality of winter baby corn (Zea mays L.) submitted by me for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy is a record of first hand research work done by me during the period of study. I avail myself to responsibility such as an act will be taken on behalf of me, mistakes, errors of fact and misinterpretation are of course entirely my own. Date: June, 2014 Place: Varanasi (Madhav Prasad Neupane)

4 ANNEXURE - E (See Clause XIII. 2 (b) (iii)) CANDIDATE S DECLARATION I, Madhav Prasad Neupane, I.D. No. PA-1010, Enrolment No certify that the work embodied in this Ph. D. thesis is my own bonafide work carried out by me under the supervision of Prof. S. P. Singh for a period of four years from July, 2010 to June, 2014 at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (U.P.). The matter embodied in this Ph.D. thesis has not been submitted for the award of any other degree/diploma. I declare that I have faithfully acknowledged, given credit to and referred to the research workers wherever their works have been cited in the text and the body of the thesis. I further certify that I have not willfully lifted up some other s work, para, text, data, results, etc. reported in the journals, books, magazines, reports, dissertations, thesis, etc. or available at web-sites and included them in this Ph.D. thesis and cited as my own work. Date: June, 2014 Place: Varanasi (Madhav Prasad Neupane) CERTIFICATE FROM THE SUPERVISOR This is to certify that the above statement made by the candidate is correct to the best of my knowledge. Supervisor s signature Dr. S. P. Singh (Professor) (Signature of the Head of the Department with seal)

5 Annexure F [See clause XIII. I (C) and XIII. 2 (b) (IV)] COURSE WORK COMPLETION CERTIFICATE This is to certify that Sri Madhav Prasad Neupane, a bonafide research scholar of the Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, has successfully completed the course work requirement which is a part of his Ph.D. programme. Date: June, 2014 (Signature of the Head of the Department) Place: Varanasi

6 Annexure F [See clause XIII. I (C) and XIII. 2 (b) (IV)] COMPREHENSIVE WRITTEN EXAMINATION AS WELL AS COMPREHENSIVE ORAL COMPLETION CERTIFICATE This is to certify that Sri Madhav Prasad Neupane, a bonafide research scholar of the Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, has successfully completed the comprehensive written examination as well as comprehensive oral which are a part of his Ph. D. programme. Date: June, 2014 (Signature of the Head of the Department) Place: Varanasi

7 Annexure F [See clause XIII. I (C) and XIII. 2 (b) (IV)] COURSE SEMINAR /PRE-SUBMISSION SEMINAR COMPLETION CERTIFICATE This is to certify that Sri Madhav Prasad Neupane, a bonafide research scholar of the Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, has successfully completed the course seminar/pre-submission seminar requirement which is a part of his Ph. D. programme. Date: June, 2014 (Signature of the Head of the Department) Place: Varanasi

8 ANNEXURE- G (As per clause XIII. 2(b) (V)) COPYRIGHT TRANSFER CERTIFICATE Title of the thesis: Candidate s name: Effect of cultivars and nitrogen application on growth, yield and quality of winter baby corn (Zea mays L.) Madhav Prasad Neupane COPYRIGHT TRANSFER The undersigned hereby assigns to the Banaras Hindu University all rights under copyright that may exist in and for the above thesis submitted for the award of the Ph. D. degree. (Madhav Prasad Neupane) Note: However, the author may reproduce or authorize others to reproduce material extracted verbatim from the thesis or derivative of the thesis for author s personal use provided that the source and the university s copyright notice are indicated.

9 Effect of cultivars and nitrogen application on growth, yield and quality of winter baby corn (Zea mays L.) By Madhav Prasad Neupane Thesis submitted to Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, in part fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Agronomy 2014 APPROVED BY ADVISORY COMMITTEE Chairman/Supervisor: DRC Nominee: Dr. S. P. Singh (Professor) Department of Agronomy Dr. J. S. Bohra (Professor) Department of Agronomy Internal Subject Expert: Dr. R. N. Singh (Professor) Department of Agronomy External Subject Expert: Dr. S. K. Singh (Professor) Department of Soil Science and Agric. Chemistry External Examiner:

10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am fortunate to offer flower to Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya Ji, the founder of Banaras Hindu University which took me in a position to be called as man with real sense of humanity for his life time sacrifice and efforts in establishing such a great temple of learning engaged in humanizing the human being. Fervently and modestly, I express my deep sense of gratitude to Dr. S. P. Singh, Professor, Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agriculture Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and Chairman of my advisory committee for his valuable deep guidance, keen and continued interest and encouragement with constructive suggestion throughout the present investigation and in the preparation of this manuscript. I am immensely grateful to the distinguished members of my advisory Committee Prof. J. S. Bohra, Prof. R. N. Singh and Prof. S. K. Singh for their valuable suggestion and productive criticism during the course of this investigation. I would be thanks to Director Prof. R.P. Singh who assisted me in various ways throughout research work. I express my sincere gratitude to all teachers and staff members, Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi for their advice, moral support, inspiration and stimulating encouragement. I wish to record my special thanks to all my seniors, friends and juniors namely, Dr. Gaurav Mahajan, Dr. R. K. Paswan, Dr. Tika Bdr. Karki, Dr. L. P. Amgain, Dr. B. B. Adhikari, Mr. Rajendra Darai Dr. Subash Jha, Dr. Gyanendra Jha, Dr. Agni Gautam Sah, Dr. J. Lhungdim, Dr. S. K. Chongtham, Mr. Sai Sarvan, Mr. Rupesh, Mr. Gangadhar Nanda, Mr. Guru Bhandari, Mr. Milan, Mr. Saurav, Mr. Uttam, Mr. Kapil Kafle, Mr. Mahes Poudel, Mr. Rosan Subedi, Mr. Samis, Ms. Rita, Ms. Kabita Wagle, the entire period of study and work. I am also thankful to the laboratory and research farm staff Nandu, J. Tripathi, Vijay and Dr. Bhagat Singh for their cooperation during the period of my investigation. I cannot forget my wife Er. Sangita Devkota (Neupane) and lovely daughter Grace Neupane. Sangita has been a Thesis window for far too long as so much of my time and energies were devoted to this. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your belief. Thank you for your presence by my side. I express my love and respect for my parents and my brothers Arjun and Ghanshyam and sisters Sita Sapkota, Pabati Pnadey, Goma Kandel, Radhika Kafle, Late Maya Gaire didi and Ms. Laxmi Vanji who nurtured me from my first moment on this earth till this day of happiness and joy and all members of my family whose unceasing prayers, unconditional love and encouragement during the course of my study gave me strength to successfully accomplish this herculean task. Once again I owe everything to THE ALMIGHTY who kept me healthy and physically fit and mentally sound till the end of my research. Date: / /2014 Place: Varanasi (Madhav Prasad Neupane)

11 CONTENTS CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Effect of cultivars on baby corn Effect of cultivars on growth of baby corn Effect of cultivars on yield attributes and yields of baby corn Effect of cultivars on quality of baby corn Effect of cultivars on nutrient uptake by baby corn Effect of cultivars on economics of baby corn Effect of nitrogen application on baby corn Effect of nitrogen application on growth of baby corn Effect of nitrogen application on yield attributes and yields of baby corn Effect of nitrogen application on quality of baby corn Effect of nitrogen application on nutrient uptake of baby corn Effect of nitrogen application on economics of baby corn CHAPTER III. MATERIALS AND METHODS Experimental site Weather and Climate Rainfall (mm) Temperature ( C) Relative humidity (RH) Sunshine duration (hrs.) Evaporation (mm day -1 ) Soil analysis Cropping history of the experimental field Experimental design and layout Experimental details Crop and variety HM HQPM Azad Uttam Calendar of operations and cultural practices Field preparation Fertilizer application Seed and sowing Gap filling and thinning Weed control and intercultural operations Earthing up Detasseling... 41

12 3.8.8 Irrigation Plant protection measures Harvesting Sampling procedure and observation Biometric observations Growth characters Plant height (cm) Number of green leaves plant Leaf area index (LAI) Dry matter accumulation plant -1 (g) Chlorophyll content (SPAD value) Initial plant stand plot Yield attributes and yield Final plant stand ha Barren plants ha Barrenness (%) Days to initiation of baby cob harvest Days to 50% silk emergence Period of harvest (days) Baby cobs plant -1 (No.) Baby corn length (cm) Baby corn girth (cm) Baby cob weight (g) Baby corn weight (g) Baby cob: baby corn ratio Baby cob yield and baby corn yield (q ha -1 ) Fodder yield (q ha -1 ) Picking wise baby cob yield and baby corn yield (q ha -1 ) Quality parameters Plant analysis Nitrogen content (%) Phosphorus content (%) Potassium content (%) Protein content (%) Carbohydrate content (%) Sugar content (%) Starch content (%) Nutrient uptake (N, P & K) and protein harvest (kg ha -1 ) Available soil nutrients (kg ha -1 ) Presentation of data N, P and K uptake by crop (kg ha -1 ) N, P and K depletion by weeds (kg ha -1 ) Economics Statistical Analysis... 48

13 CHAPTER IV. EXPERIMENTAL FINDINGS Growth Characters Plant height (cm) Number of green leaves plant Leaf area index (LAI) Dry matter accumulation plant -1 (g) Chlorophyll content Initial plant stands (No s ha -1 ) Yield attributes Final plant stands (No s ha -1 ) Barren plants (ha -1 ) and barrenness (%) Days to initiation of baby cob harvest Days to 50 % silk emergence Period of harvest (days) Baby cobs plant -1 (no s.) Baby corn length (cm) Girth of baby corn (cm) Baby cob weight (g) Baby corn weight (g) Baby cob: baby corn ratio Baby cob yield (q ha -1 ) Baby corn yield (q ha -1 ) Fodder yield (q ha -1 ) Picking wise baby cob yield (q ha -1 ) Picking wise baby corn yield (q ha -1 ) Quality parameters Nitrogen content (%) in baby corn, cob husk and fodder Phosphorus content (%) in baby corn, cob husk and fodder Potassium content (%) in baby corn, cob husk and fodder Uptake of Nutrients Uptake of nitrogen (kg ha -1 ) Uptake of phosphorus (kg ha -1 ) Uptake of potassium (kg ha -1 ) Protein harvest (kg ha -1 ) Carbohydrate content (%) in baby corn Sugar content (%) in baby corn Staurch content (%) in baby corn Nutrients availability Available N, P, K, S and Zn in soil Economics of baby corn Cost of cultivation (` ha -1 ) Gross return (` ha -1 ) Net returns (` ha -1 ) Benefit: cost ratio... 78

14 CHAPTER V. DISCUSSION Effect of weather conditions Effect of cultivars on baby corn Effect of cultivars on growth characters of baby corn Effect of cultivars on yield attributes and yields of baby corn Effect of cultivars on quality of baby corn Effect of cultivars on nutrient content and uptake by baby corn Effect of cultivars on economics of baby corn Effect of split nitrogen application on baby corn Effect of split nitrogen application on growth characters of baby corn Effect of split nitrogen application on yield attributes and yields of baby corn Effect of split nitrogen application on quality of baby corn Effect of split nitrogen application on nutrient content and uptake by baby corn Effect of split nitrogen application on economic of baby corn Effect of treatments on available nutrient status of soil CHAPTER VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION Effect of treatments on growth characters Effect of treatments on yield attributes and yield Effect of treatments on quality parameters Effect of treatments on nutrient content and their uptake Effect of treatments on available nutrient status of soil Effect of treatments on economics BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES... i-x... i-xxxix List of Publications Paper I Paper II Curriculum Vitae

15 TABLE NO. PARTICULARS Table 3.1 Table 3.2 Table 3.3 LIST OF TABLES PAGE NO. Standard week-wise meteorological parameters during crop season (winter, ) Standard week-wise meteorological parameters during crop season (winter, ) Mean standard monthly meteorological data recorded at Meteorological Observatory, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Varanasi (25 years mean) Table 3.4(a) Physical properties of the experimental soil Table 3.4(b) Chemical properties of the experimental soil Table 3.5 Cropping history of the experimental field Table 3.6 Details of treatments and abbreviations used Table 3.7 Treatment combinations tested under experiment Table 3.8 Details of layout plan Table 3.9 Source of fertlizers Table 3.10 Schedule of field operations Table 3.11 Analysis of variance for baby corn Table Table Table Table Table Table AFTER PAGE NO. Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on plant height (cm) at different growth stages of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on number of green leaves pant -1 at different growth stages of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on leaf area index at different growth stages of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on dry matter accumulation plant -1 (g) at different growth stages of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on chlorophyll content of leaves (SPAD value) at different growth stages of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on initial plant stand, final plant stand, barren plants (No. ha -1 ) and barrenness (%) of winter baby corn... 56

16 TABLE NO. PARTICULARS Table Table Table AFTER PAGE NO. Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on initiation of baby cob harvest, 50% silk emergence and period of harvest of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on yield attributes (baby cobs plant -1, baby corn length and girth) of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on yield attributes (baby cob weight, baby corn weight and baby cob: baby corn ratio) of winter baby corn Table Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on baby cob, baby corn and fodder yield (q ha -1 ) of winter baby corn Table Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on picking wise yield of winter baby cob (q ha -1 ) Table Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on picking wise yield of winter baby corn (q ha -1 ) Table Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on N content (%), uptake of N by baby corn, cob husk, fodder and total N uptake (kg ha -1 ) by winter baby corn (on dry weight basis) Table Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on P content (%), uptake of P by baby corn, cob husk, fodder and total P uptake (kg ha -1 ) by winter baby corn (on dry weight basis) Table Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on K content (%), uptake of K by baby corn, cob husk, fodder and total K uptake (kg ha -1 ) by winter baby corn (on dry weight basis) Table Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on protein content (%) and harvest by baby corn, cob husk, fodder and total protein harvest (kg ha -1 ) by winter baby corn (on dry weight basis) Table Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on quality parameters of winter baby corn (on dry weight basis) Table Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on available soil nutrients after harvest of winter baby corn Table Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on economics of winter baby corn Table Effect of different treatment combination on economics of winter baby corn... 79

17 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE NO. PARTICULARS Fig. 3.1(a) Fig. 3.1(b) AFTER PAGE NO. Standard week-wise meteorological parameters during crop season (winter, ) Standard week-wise meteorological parameters during crop season (winter, ) Fig. 3.2 Layout plan of the experiment Fig. 4.1 Fig. 4.2 Fig. 4.3 Fig. 4.4 Fig. 4.5 Fig. 4.6 Fig. 4.7 Fig. 4.8 Fig 4.9 Fig 4.10 Fig 4.11 Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on plant height (cm) at different growth stages of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on number of green leaves pant -1 at different growth stages of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on leaf area index at different growth stages of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on dry matter accumulation plant -1 (g) at different growth stages of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on chlorophyll content of leaves (SPAD value) at different growth stages of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on initial plant stand, final plant stand, barren plants (No. ha -1 ) and barrenness (%) of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on initiation of baby cob harvest, 50% silk emergence and period of harvest of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on yield attributes (baby cobs plant -1, baby corn length and girth) of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on yield attributes (baby cob weight, baby corn weight and baby cob: baby corn ratio) of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on baby cob, baby corn and fodder yield (q ha -1 ) of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on picking wise yield of winter baby cob (q ha -1 )... 66

18 FIGURE NO. PARTICULARS Fig 4.12 Fig 4.13 Fig 4.14 Fig 4.15 Fig 4.16 Fig 4.17 Fig 4.18 Fig 4.19 Fig 4.20 Fig 4.21 Fig 4.22 Fig 4.23 AFTER PAGE NO. Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on picking wise yield of winter baby corn (q ha -1 ) Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on N content (%) by baby corn, cob husk and fodder by winter baby corn (on dry weight basis) Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on N uptake (kg ha -1 ) by baby corn, cob husk and fodder by winter baby corn (on dry weight basis) Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on P content (%) by baby corn, cob husk and fodder by winter baby corn (on dry weight basis) Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on P uptake (kg ha -1 ) by baby corn, cob husk and fodder by winter baby corn (on dry weight basis) Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on K content (%) by baby corn, cob husk and fodder by winter baby corn (on dry weight basis) Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on K uptake (kg ha -1 ) by baby corn, cob husk and fodder by winter baby corn (on dry weight basis) Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on protein content (%) by baby corn, cob husk and fodder by winter baby corn (on dry weight basis) Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on protein harvest (kg ha -1 ) by baby corn, cob husk and fodder by winter baby corn (on dry weight basis) Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on quality parameters of winter baby corn (on dry weight basis) Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on available soil nutrients after harvest of winter baby corn Effect of cultivars and split nitrogen application on economics of winter baby corn... 79

19 PLATE NO. PARTICULARS LIST OF PLATES AFTER PAGE NO. Plate 1. Supervision of experimental field Plate 2. Winter baby corn at 30 DAS Plate 3. Earthing operation in winter baby corn field Plate 4. Winter baby corn at 45 DAS Plate 5. Winter baby corn at 60 DAS Plate 6. Detasseling in winter baby corn Plate 7. Baby cobs of cultivar HM-4 + four N splits (V1N5) Plate 8. Baby corn of cultivar HM-4 + four N splits (V1N5) Plate 9. Baby cobs of cultivar HQPM-1 + four N splits (V1N5) Plate 10. Baby corn of cultivar HQPM-1 + four N splits (V1N5)... 79

20 ABBREVIATIONS % - Percentage C - Degree - at the rate of ` - Rupees CD - Critical Difference Cm - Centimeter DAS - Days after sowing ds m -1 - deci Siemen per meter e.g. - For example (exempli gratia) EC - Electrical conductivity et al. - and others ( et alibi) etc. - and so fourth (et cetera) g - Gram ha. - Hectare ha -1 - per hectare i.e. - That is (id est) K - Potassium (Kallium) kg - Kilogram mg - Milligram mm - millimeter N - Nitrogen No. - Number NS - Non-significant P - Phosphorus ppm - Part per million S - Sulphur S Em± - Standard error of mean q ha -1 - Quintal per hectare q - Quintal viz. - Namely (videlicet) Zn - Zinc FSAFP - Foliar spray after first picking RDN - Recommended dose of nitrogen

21 Chapter I INTRODUCTION Maize (Zea mays L.) is the 3 rd leading cereal crop after wheat and rice cultivated on an area of m ha with a production of million tonnes and accounts for 8 and 2 of the world s area and production, respectively. Maize stands a reputable place in Indian agriculture, where it occupies an area of 8.55 m ha with production of million tonnes and average productivity of 25.4 q ha -1. The winter maize claims 1.14 m ha area with a total production of 4.5 million tonnes and average productivity of q ha -1 (Anonymous, 2011). The food grain production in India has reached to the plateau and factor productivity is declining particularly in high productive zone of North India. Therefore, now it has become essential to ponder how crop cultivation itself can excel the economic condition of the farming community. Maize is the most widely distributed crop of the world grown in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate regions from 500 meters to more than 3000 meters altitude from sea level under various agro-ecological conditions. Being a versatile crop, it adapts easily to a wide range of production environments and has the highest yield potential among cereal crops. The achieved quantum of food grains ( million tonnes) in India although seems commendable, however, country needs an additional 6-7 million tonnes every year to meet the internal demand owing to the population growth rate of 1.9% which is higher than the growth of food grains production of 1.2% (Anonymous, 2011). Globally, baby corn has attracted an increasing number of people s preference due to the enhancement of living standards and shift in dietary habit; however, the production areas are still confined to a few countries. Maize is the crop with multifarious uses and its use as Baby corn proved enormously successful in countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. The countries like Guatemala, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa have also started its cultivation. Thailand and China are the world leaders in baby corn production. The greatest production of baby corn is in Thailand with the value of approximate 64 million US$ in year It is widely accepted and habituated as a cereal vegetable

22 Introduction in USA, Europe and in some Asian countries. Thailand has made tremendous progress by promoting baby corn production and earned millions of foreign exchange which showed significant contribution in their national economy. Baby corn has become a familiar part of the American and European diet and the demand is increasing, but production occurs mainly in Asia. United States of America is the leading importer of baby corn, mainly from Asian countries, especially from Thailand and accounts approximately 40% of the total baby corn exported by these countries (Aekatasanawan, 2001; Stone et al., 2008). Baby corn is an unfertilized, de-husked maize cob harvested within 2-3 days of silking. The baby corn is a delicious vegetable, tasty and easy to consume because of its tenderness and sweetness with nutritive value addition. It is used in various traditional and continental dishes apart from canning. It is a low calorie vegetable having higher fibre content without cholesterol. It may be eaten raw as salad or used as an ingredient in various preparations, viz. soup, pakora, vegetables, pickles etc. The crispy nature of baby corn and its high nutritional value has made it of special choice among the elite group of people. Its consumption is considered eco-friendly because it is free from the residue of pesticides by virtue of natural protection through many layers of husk (Pandey et al., 1998). Baby corn provides carbohydrates, protein, fat, sugar, minerals and vitamins in palatable, wholesome, hygienic and digestible form. It is rich in phosphorus content (86 mg 100 g -1 edible portion in comparison to 21 to 57 mg phosphorus content in other commonly used vegetables). Baby corn s nutritive value is comparable to other vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, and tomato. Thavaprakash et al. (2005) and Das et al. (2008) reported that 100g baby corn contained 89.1% moisture, 0.2 g fat, 1.9 g protein, 8.2 mg carbohydrate, 0.06 g ash, 28.0 mg calcium, 86.0 mg phosphorus, and 11.0 mg of ascorbic acid. In India, cultivation of baby corn is recent development in several states viz. Meghalaya, Western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh (Ramachandrappa et al., 2004). However, convincing data regarding area, production and productivity of baby corn in India is yet not available. Baby corn is ~2~

23 Introduction becoming popular among the growers in peri-urban areas in recent years due to its diverse utility and high net returns. After successful venture in many South-Asian countries, it is fast gaining popularity in Indian market too, particularly in large cities. Baby corn cultivation provides avenues for crop diversification, value-addition and revenue generation. Besides, higher profit per unit area and lesser sowing to market time compared to grain maize, good quality green fodder from its cultivation adds enormously to total economic return (Pandey et al., 2002). Baby corn being a recent domestication, may find a prominent place in most of the intensive cropping systems due to its short duration nature. Wider adaptability, high yielding ability and fast growing habit of baby corn makes it a potential alternative for diversification and value addition of maize as well as growth of food processing industry. Though, it is a kind of maize itself but differs in the way of economic product utilization and agronomic practices (Lekangul and Mathemm, 1994). Despite of several advantages including higher returns, the baby corn does not occupy adequate acreage in our country, probably due to unawareness of its utilization, non- availability of suitable variety and production technologies. The production technologies of baby corn differs from normal maize because of less crop duration and sole interest in producing more numbers of baby cobs (Pandey et al., 1998). Among the various agro techniques, selection of suitable variety, adequate plant population, detasseling and higher nutrient supply particularly nitrogen application are the major inputs for harnessing more production of baby corn per unit land area. A number of composite varieties have been developed for baby corn, but they are of low productivity. Single cross hybrids are generated by crossing two inbred lines thus; hybrid population obtained is genetically heterozygous which shows desired traits of no genetic variation, better uniformity and high yield. Presently, only 20% area is covered by single cross hybrids in India and under All India Coordinated Research Project on maize, a total of 118 hybrids have been released so far, out of these hybrids 44 are single cross hybrids (SCHs) which were developed from 1990 onwards. Among 44 SCHs, only one baby corn hybrid has been released for cultivation in different agro-ecological zones of the country (Kaul et al., 2009). Non availability of suitable hybrid results in a reduction of 30-4 in yield. ~3~

24 Introduction However, in general any early maturing single cross hybrid may also be used for baby corn cultivation (Das et al., 2008 & 2009). The quantum of work done on baby corn in India is meagre in spite of its tremendous export potentiality, economic benefit and better possibilities of incorporating into intensive cropping systems. In the recent past, the practice had been to use any genotype of maize for the cultivation of baby corn and detailed studies have not been conducted to identify and/or develop varieties suitable for baby corn. In India, only few single cross hybrids have been identified and preferred for baby corn cultivation (HM-4, HQPM-1, PEHM-2, Prakash etc.). All these hybrids were originally developed for grain purpose and now considered for baby corn usage on account of some desired characteristic features. At present, exclusive and specific single cross baby corn hybrids are not available under public domain. Development / identification of baby corn cultivars specifically adaptable to different agro-ecological conditions might be one of the approaches for fulfilling the goal. Here emphasis to be given on early maturing, prolific and medium height cultivars to achieve higher yield of baby corn. Nitrogen has numerous functions in the plant. It is an essential element containing amino acids, the building blocks of proteins and part of the nucleic acids; DNA and RNA. Nitrogen is a constituent of plant compounds including nucleotides, amides and amines. Nitrogen is contained in the chlorophyll molecule and several enzymes are proteinaceous; hence, N plays a key role in many metabolic reactions. Baby corn is an exhaustive crop and requires high quantities of nitrogen during the periods of efficient utilization. Timing of nitrogen application based on the requirement of crop is important to increase the nitrogen use efficiency. Optimization of applied N at critical growth stages coinciding with periods of efficient utilization are the modern approaches for improving the N-use efficiencies in baby corn (Luikham et al., 2003). Baby corn is a new crop and not much is known regarding its nitrogen nutrition. Initial work done at several locations of the country indicated the significant response in growth, yield and quality of the baby corn due to split nitrogen ~4~

25 Introduction application however, these studies favour application of nitrogen either in two or three splits at critical growth stages of baby corn. It has been suggested that there are several potential benefits of providing nitrogen to cereals via the foliage as urea solution. These include reduced nitrogen losses compared with nitrogen fertilizer applications to the soil; the ability to provide nitrogen and uptake late in the season to increase grain nitrogen concentration. Factors that influence the degree of foliar absorption in field conditions have, not, however, been clearly defined and losses to the atmosphere and soil can occur. Foliar urea applications may also hinder crop productivity although the explanations for this vary, and include desiccation of leaf cells, aqueous ammonia and urea toxicity, biuret contamination and the disruption of carbohydrate metabolism. It has not yet been determined which one, or combinations, of these mechanisms are most important in situations. When damage has not been severe, foliar urea applications have increased grain yield, particularly when applied before flag leaf emergence and when nitrogen availability is limiting. Increases in grain nitrogen content are often larger when applications of nitrogen fertilizers to the soil are reduced, and when the urea solution is sprayed either at anthesis or during the following two weeks. It is during this period that foliar urea sprays can be of greater benefit than soil applications with regard to nitrogen utilization by the crop (Gooding and Davies, 1992). Many workers reported that foliar application often is effective and economic method for quality improvement, increases yield of plants and spraying nutrients increase absorption in the plants at air high wet. s indicated that N foliar application as urea in different concentrations at various growth stages of corn (tasseling to seed filling) increased yield and quality (Sarakhsi et al., 2010). The early researches have shown that the winter maize favourably responds to better crop management. Winter crop proved superior to wet season regarding baby corn and green fodder yield, weight and length of ears and higher net profit though it takes little more time. Baby corn production in India is at a nascent stage and attention is needed to standardize its production technology that would permit farmers to achieve high yield with excellent quality produce. ~5~

26 Introduction Baby corn, being a relatively new introduction in our country, requires development of production technology especially identification of suitable cultivars and timing of nitrogen application for realizing the higher baby corn yield and monetary returns before it could be popularized among farmers. Initial work done on baby corn is mainly confined to rainy/summer season although more potential exists in winter where this crop may provide economically sound and viable option for crop diversification. Keeping these facts in view, the present investigation entitled Effect of cultivars and nitrogen application on growth, yield and quality of winter baby corn (Zea mays L.) was undertaken at the agricultural research farm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, during the winter seasons of and with the following objectives: To study the response of cultivars and nitrogen application on growth and yield of winter baby corn. To study the effect of treatments on the nutrient uptake and quality of winter baby corn. To study the effect of treatments on the economics. ~6~

27 Chapter II REVIEW OF LITERATURE The growth and development of the plant is an inherent characteristic. Nevertheless, the crop plants require specific soil and climatic conditions to complete their life cycle and to make quantitative, qualitative and economic output. The diurnal temperature, duration, intensity of light and rainfall as well as its distribution are proven main component to regulate growth, development and behaviour of the plants. The crop plants do possess certain inbuilt mechanism to reduce the adverse effect of unfavourable weather conditions. However, addition of nutrients through organic and inorganic sources to meet the nutritional requirement of the crop may enable the plants to withstand environmental variations. Maize is unique among the cereals for its amenability to diverse uses and speciality corns attract utmost attention especially under Indian context. Specifically, baby corn is very relevant on account of a wide range of factors including enormous potentiality, multiple benefits to many stakeholders etc.traditionally, maize is considered as one of the most important cereal crops in the world but it has also emerged as a fascinating cereal vegetable recently being recognized in the elite group of society named as Baby corn which has already proved its importance in the countries like Thailand and Taiwan. Presently serious attention is being made to explore the possibility of its success to enhance the capital power of Indian farmer. Since the production of baby corn is a new introduction to Indian agriculture, hence very limited research literatures are available on this specific aspect. However, comprehensive efforts have been made to review the research work done in this regards by eminent scientists in the country and abroad, and concern experimental findings have been incorporated in this chapter. 2.1 Effect of cultivars on baby corn Genotypes of maize are being utilized for the cultivation of baby corn and detailed studies have not been conducted to identify and/or develop varieties suitable

28 Review of Literature for baby corn. In India, only few single cross hybrids have been identified and preferred for baby corn cultivation. All these hybrids were originally developed for grain purpose and now considered for baby corn usage on account of some desired characteristic features. At present, exclusive and specific single cross baby corn hybrids are not available under public domain. Development/ identification of baby corn cultivars specifically adaptable to different agro-ecological conditions might be one of the approaches for fulfilling the goal. Here emphasis to be given on early maturing, prolific and medium height cultivars to achieve higher yield of baby corn.non availability of suitable hybrid results in a reduction of 30-4 in yield. However, in general any early maturing single cross hybrid may also be used for baby corn cultivation (Das et al., 2008 & 2009). Selection of a suitable cultivar is the most critical issue in baby corn cultivation. An early maturing cultivar with short stature, uniform in flowering and require less harvesting time than an open pollinated cultivar which flowers for longer period and thus needs harvesting for a longer duration. A cultivar which flowers early can give 2 or 3 crops in a year. Short stature is a desirable trait in baby corn. Planting at a high population density of thousand plants ha -1 is required to obtain higher yield per unit area and at this high density, a short plant type cultivar will not suffer from competition for light and other inputs and thus lodging is reduced (Thakur et al., 2000). Despite enormous prospects and potentialities of baby corn cultivation in the country, research initiatives are very much lacking and only few studies are undertaken systematically to evaluate or identify maize cultivars suitable for baby corn across the seasons in Indian context. Specific features indicate desirability or otherwise of a maize cultivar for use at a tender ear stage. However, detailed information regarding productivity and ear aspects of most of the popular maize cultivars at the stage amenable for consumption as baby corn is scarce, necessitating systematic evaluation (Chauhan et al., 2009) Effect of cultivars on growth of baby corn Yu et al. (1993) developed a baby corn hybrid by crossing two inbred lines viz., Duo-7 and Wu Dai Bai, which has good adaptability, recorded maximum ~8~

29 Review of Literature height and leaf area index. They also recommended elite maize cultivar Lusan 1/U -1 for baby corn cultivation. Kalloo and Kumar (1999) analyzed suitable varieties on various aspects relating to baby corn production, They concluded that hybrid cultivars VL-42 developed at Viveknanda Parvatiya Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora and MEH-114 developed by Mahyco have been recommended by Directorate of Maize Research, New Delhi for baby corn production. Thakur and Sharma (2000) conducted field experiment at Bajura during rainy season and tested two baby corn cultivars (hybrid VL-42 and Early composite) sown at six spacing s (60 30, 40 40, 50 30, 40 35,50 25 and cm) and observed significantly higher plant height in early composite than hybrid VL-42. Similar results were reported by Thakur et al. (2000) who evaluated 30 cultivars of maize for baby corn production at two locations (Bajura and Sundarnagar) and recorded significantly taller plants of Early Composite than rest of the cultivars. Pandey et al. (2002) compared 6 varieties viz., VL Makka-16, VL Makka-41, VL Makka-42, VL Makka-88, VL Amber (popcorn) and Dhayari during rainy season at Almora and reported VL Makka-41 produced the shortest plant while VL Makka- 16 had the tallest plants. Kumar et al. (2005) conducted a field experiment during rainy and winter season on sandy loam soil of IARI, New Delhi and found that growth attributes of maize cv. PEHM-1 recorded significantly higher plant height and leaf area index. Asaduzzaman et al. (2014) conducted experiment during winter season to find out the suitable variety and nitrogen fertilizer rate for baby corn production. They examined four baby corn varieties viz., Hybrid Baby Corn-271, Shuvra, BARI Khoibhutta and BARI Sweet Corn-1 at five N rates viz., 0, 80, 120, 160 and 200 kg N ha -1. The results revealed that the highest values were recorded in variety Shuvra with ~9~

30 Review of Literature 200 kg N ha -1 regarding most of the growth parameters viz., plant height and dry matter production. Alom et al. (2010) carried out experiment at Bangladesh during Rabi season to evaluate the performance of different maize varieties viz., BHM-1, BHM-3, Pacific-11 and Pacific-984 under intercropping system with groundnut. Among different hybrids tested Pacific-11 showed higher total dry mater, leaf area index and crop growth rate than other varieties. Khan et al. (2011) in a field trial at Pakistan evaluated three potentially high yielding maize cultivars (FH-810, DTC and C-20) using four N levels (75, 150,225 and 300 kg ha -1 ). Among the different cultivars FH-810 showed maximum plant height and plant diameter over DTC and C Effect of cultivars on yield attributes and yields of baby corn Kotch et al. (1995) carried out field experiments during using 11 maize cultivars to assess the effect of plant spacing (10 or 20 cm) and sowing date (May to July) on baby corn yield. They observed that cultivar was the most important factor determining yield and cv. Robust produced consistently high yields in both years. Trongpanich (1992) and Fanngfupong et al. (1994) found in varietal trials that Thai super sweet composite-1 DMR produced higher baby corn yield along with higher preference scores for texture, odor, color and taste. They also recommended five other cultivars for baby corn as alternative to farmer s ruling cultivar super sweet. Spaner et al. (1996) studied the performance of three local cultivars viz., an improved land race ICTA Farm Corn, an open pollinated Cross-7728 and the hybrid Pioneer-3098 for baby corn production. The hybrid Pioneer-3098 and ICTA Farm Corn cultivars gave significantly higher number of marketable yield ha - 1 and found superior to Cross ~10~

31 Review of Literature Verma et al. (1998) conducted field experiment in Uttar Pradesh and tested 26 maize cultivars grown at densities of 1,00, 000 or 1,25, 000 plants ha -1. The hybrid VL-42 gave highest baby corn yield of 2.57 t ha -1 at both plant densities. Kasikranan et al. (2001) evaluated the performance of eight baby corn cultivars (KU-1, SW-2, SRC-6, Baby Corn-1, G-5414, KKU-922, CMP and SSW) in Thailand and revealed that industrial baby corn characters were ranked highest with KKU-992 followed by G-5414, SW-2, SRC-6, CMB, KU-1, SSW and Baby Corn-1, respectively while baby corn yield were highest with G-5414 followed by KU-1, Baby Corn-1, KKU-992, SW-2, CMB and SRC-6. Thakur et al. (2000) evaluated 30 cultivars of maize for baby corn production at 2 locations in Himachal Pradesh, the hybrid VL-42 gave significantly highest marketable baby corn yield followed by hybrids MEH-133 and MEH-114. All these hybrids remained statistically similar to each other had significantly higher cobs plant -1 than composite Early Composite. Percentage husk and sterility were less in hybrids than the composite, whereas fodder yield was more in Early Composite than the hybrids. Thakur and Sharma (2000) in a field experiment at Himachal Pradesh reported that hybrid VL-42 gave significantly higher baby corn yield than Early composite due to significantly higher cobs plant -1 and significantly lower discarded baby corn, husk: baby corn ratio and barrenness. Further advantage of VL-42 over Early Composite was less number of days taken for harvest, so it can be accommodated in intensive cropping sequences. Pandey et al. (2002) evaluated 3 populations and 6 varieties (VL Makka-16, VL Makka-41, VL Makka-42, VL Makka-88, VL Amber (pop corn) and local cultivar Dhayari) at Almora and reported significantly higher yield and yield attributes produced by VL-42 over other varieties. Verma and Sharma (2001) studied the phenotypic stability of five maize genotypes used as baby corn over three environments for yield and yield attributing ~11~

32 Review of Literature characters and concluded that genotypes RCM 1-1, MLY and RCM 1-3 were found to be most suitable for baby corn yield due to their average performance and responsiveness along with stability for midhills of Meghalaya. Almeida et al. (2005) evaluated 10 maize cultivars (AG-405, AG-1051, AG- 2060, AG-6690, AG-7575, AG-8080, DKB-333B, DKB-435, DKB-350 and DKB- 747) for baby corn yield at Brazil, assessed at a density of 1, 78,571 plants ha -1 and found DKB-350 and AG-8080 were superior in term of number and weight of marketable cob and baby corn ears. Cultivars DKB-435 and AG-8080 recorded greatest number and weight of marketable unhusked ears. Ramachandrappa et al. (2006) studied the response of baby corn hybrids and composite varieties in relation to harvest stage and opined that composite Shakti gave higher baby cob yield than hybrid Golden baby. Chauhan et al. (2009) assessed twenty cultivars of maize for their suitability for baby corn cultivation on the basis of different characteristics relevant for baby corn production relating to productivity traits during kharif 2007 and rabi seasons. Cultivars HM-4 and HQPM-1 were found superior for most of the important productivity traits for cultivation, viz., cob yield plant -1, corn yield plant -1, number of cobs plant -1 and fodder yield plant -1. On the basis of overall characteristics, two elite hybrids HM-4 and HQPM-1 were identified for baby corn purpose. Raupp et al. (2008) evaluated four baby corn cultivars DKB-214, P-3021, AG-6081 and DKB-215 to determine the baby corn yield for canning. Thus, considering the yield of baby corn for the canned, the cv. P-3021 was recommended, because it had a yield of 25.90% higher than the cv. AG- 6018, which had the lowest yield. Carvalho et al. (2002) investigated 8 maize cultivars (DKB-929, Zelia, CO- 9621, Elisa, DO-04, FO-01, Pipoca- esteril and Dina-170) for baby corn production in experiments carried out from 1999 to 2001 at Brazil. Three baby corn harvests were ~12~

33 Review of Literature performed after every 3 days and DKB-929 showed best performance for husked ear weight and baby corn weight. De and Kalloo (2005) reported that five maize hybrids, i.e. HHB-50, HHB-60 (Directorate of Maize Research, New Delhi) as well as IPB-911, IPB-921 and IPB- 929 (Institute of Plant Breeding, Philippines) were evaluated for baby corn production during the winter seasons of 1997 and 1998 in India. Plant density was kept comparatively higher than those desired for baby corn production. s showed that HHB-50 and HHB-60 required only days for 50% tassel and cob emergence, hence considered early maturing in comparison to the hybrids from the Philippines. Cultivar IPB-929 recorded the highest cob yield of 6.84 t ha -1 with a 20.44% recovery of edible baby corn. In contrast, both HHB-50 and HHB-60 recorded high edible baby corn and baby cob yields of 22.1 and 21.70% with baby cob yields of 6.42 and 6.73 t ha -1, respectively. As early maturing and prolific cultivars are preferred for baby corn production, HHB-50 and HHB-60 proved more desirable. All hybrids evaluated were tolerant to high density planting as they produced more than 2 cobs per plant at closer spacing. Pandey et al. (2000) conducted field experiments in Uttar Pradesh during kharif 1993 and 1994 to study the effect of N levels (0, 40 and 80 kg ha -1 ) and foliar spray of sulfhydryl compounds (thiourea and 2,mercaptoethanol) and urea on maize cv. VL Makka-16 (composite) and VL Makka-42 (hybrid). The higher average yield of 3032 kg ha -1 was obtained with cv. VL Makka-16 while it was lower (2480kg ha -1 ) with cv. VL Makka-42. Moreira et al. (2010) at Brazil evaluated two corn hybrids (AG-1051 and BRS) but the hybrids did not differ on the dry matter mass and in other traits utilized to evaluate baby corn yield. Comparing the suitability of composites, hybrids and inbred lines and for baby corn, Shobha et al. (2010) were of opinion that genotypes NAB-1, NAB-2 and NAC qualifies the physical parameters criteria (length and diameter) needed for baby corn. ~13~