Measuring the Influence of Seedling Age and Nutrient Sources on the Performance of Sweet Corn (Zea mays L.) under Temperate Climatic Conditions

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect ofthe age ofa seedling and sources of nutrients on the growth and yield of sweetcorn at SKUAST-K during Kharif-2020. The experiment was performedunder a factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design(RCBD) with three replications. Factor A was the age of the seedlingwith three levels, viz., 12-day-old seedlings, 22-day-oldseedlings, and 32-day-old seedlings. Factor B was the source of nutrientswith five levels, viz., control, recommended doseof fertilizer (RDF), 1/2 RDF + 12 t ha(-1) farmyardmanure, 1/2 RDF + 4 t ha(-1) vermicompost, and 1/2RDF + 2 t ha(-1) poultry manure. The experiment wastested using variety Sugar-75 with a spacing of 75 x 20 cm(2). The findings of this study indicated that the age of theseedling and sources of nutrients extended a significant influenceon growth parameters, yield attributes, and yield of sweet corn. Significantlyhighest values for various growth parameters of sweet corn, viz., plant height, number of functional leaves, leaf areaindex (LAI), and dry matter accumulation from 30 days after transplantingup to the harvest, were noted by transplanting A(2) seedlings(22 day old). A similar trend was observed for yield attributes andyield with higher values with transplanting A(2) seedlings(22 day old). Plots fertilized with 1/2 RDF + 2 t ha(-1) poultry manure registered a significantly higher plant height, leafarea index (LAI), dry matter accumulation, and number of functionalleaves, which eventually resulted in a higher green cob yield andgreen fodder yield under the same treatment. Overall, this study indicatedthat among different ages of seedlings, transplanting A(2) seedlings (22 day old) outperformed other seedling ages, and plotstreated with 1/2 RDF + 2 t ha(-1) poultry manure outperformedother treatments; a combination of both proved superior in realizinga higher yield and profitability with a benefit-cost ratio(BCR) of 6.57 under temperate climatic conditions.