Karnataka J. Agric. Sci.

, 21(4) (485-487): 2008

Effect of Micronutrients with or without Organic Manures on Yield of Baby Corn

(Zea mays L. Chickpea (Cicer artietinum L.) Sequence*
P. ASHOKA, MUDALAGIRIYAPPA, B.T. PUJARI, P. S. HUGAR AND B. K. DESAI
Department of Agronomy
College of Agriculture, Raichur - 584 101, India
(Received : February, 2008)
Abstract: A field experiment was conducted at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Raichur to study the Effect of
micronutrients with or without organic manures on yield of Baby corn chickpea sequence during 2005 -06. The results
revealed that application of RDF(150:75:40 kg N,P2O5,K2O ha-1) + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4 + 35 kg Vermicompost
recorded significantly higher yield and yield components viz., ear length (7.40 cm), ear girth (4.99 cm), ear weight (17.40
g), yield (64.43 q ha-1) and green fodder yield (232.33 q ha-1). Similarly application of 50% (12.5 : 25 : 12.5 kg N, P2O5, K2O
ha-1) RDF to chickpea also increased yield attributes and yield viz., pods per plant (100.33), test weight (24.80 g) and seed
yield (15.4 q ha-1) over RDF alone and all other treatment s expect RDF along with micronutrients and FYM. In case of
Economics same trend was followed by higher gross returns (Rs 96,838), net return (Rs. 76,889 ha-1) and B:C ratio (3.85) was
noticed in RDF+25 kg ZnSo4+35 kg Vermicompost treatment.
Key words : Baby corn, chickpea, integrated nutrient supply, yield, economics

Introduction
Maize (Zea mays L.), is an important cereal crop in the
world after wheat and rice .Maize has been cultivated for a long
time and recent development is harvesting maize as young
tender ears for vegetable purpose. The corn ear used as
vegetable for cooking purpose is popularly known as Baby
corn. It is so called because young, fresh and finger like green
ears are harvested before or just at the time of silk emergence
and before fertilization, which upon dehusking and desilking is
used as vegetable and salad. The lack of knowledge on
production technology seems to be the major constraints for
popularization among the growers.
In order to popularize its cultivation among the farming
community, it is essential to standardize its agro-techniques not
only for its potential yield but also for its quality babies. It is
believed that Agronomy of baby corn is not much different from
that of regular maize crop. But regular and care full detasseling
of plants is necessary to avoid fertilization of the ears (Prasanna
et al., 1995) The most logical way to the management of long
term fertility and productivity of soil is the integrated use of
micro-nutrients with the combination of organics (FYM and
Vermicompost ) and inorganic source of plant nutrients. Hence
this investigation has been undertaken to know the effect of
micronutrients along with organics sources
Material and Methods
A field experiment was conducted during kharif 200405 at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Raichur in
Karnataka on vertisol (very deep, fine, montmorillonitic type)
having 252.63, 31.19 and 426.02 kg ha-1 of available N, P2O5 and

K2O, respectively and 0.16 and 1.98 ppm of DTPA Zn and Fe,
respectively with a soil pH of 8.06 and organic carbon content
of 0.55 per cent. The treatments viz., combinations of RDF
(150:75:40 kg N,P 2O 5,K 2O ha -1 ), RDF with or without
micronutrients (T1 RDF, T2 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 ha-1 , T3 RDF
+ 10 kg FeSO4 ha-1 ,T4 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4 ha-1,
T5 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 25 kg FYM ha-1 ,T6 RDF + 10 kg
FeSO4 + 10 kg FYM ha-1 ,T7 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4
+ 35 kg FYM ha-1, T8 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 25 kg VC
ha-1, T9 RDF + 10 kg FeSO4 + 10 kg VC ha-1 ,T10 RDF +25 kg
ZnSO4+10 kg FeSO4+ 35 kg VC ha-1 ) and organics viz., FyM
(0.5:0.2:0.5 % of NPK) and vermicompost(3:1:1.5% of NPK)
application on the day of sowing. The chickpea was sown after
the harvest of Baby corn with 50% RDF (12.5 : 25 : 12.5 kg of
N,P2O5,K2O ha-1) of chickpea. The experiment was laid out in
Randomized Block Design replicated thrice with a common dose
of 150 : 75 : 40 kg of NPK per ha. Baby corn variety PAC-792
was sown on the 21st July 2005 (population of Baby corn 11,11,111
ha-1) and harvested on 17th September 2005 and chickpea variety
annigeri-1 was sown on rabi 6th November, 2005 (population of
chickpea 3,33,333 ha-1) and harvested on February 1, 20006.
Results and Discussion
A perusal of the data (Table 1 and 2) indicated that
yield and yield components of Baby corn chickpea sequence
differed significantly due to RDF(150:75:40 kg N,P2O5,K2O ha-1)
along with micronutrient and organic application. The yield
components of baby corn viz., ear length (7.40 cm), ear girth
(4.99 cm), and ear weight (17.40 g)of baby corn were significantly
higher in RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4 + 35 kg Vermicompost
over RDF and all other treatments except RDF with combination

* Part of M. Sc. (Agri.) thesis submitted by the senior author to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad-580 005, India
485

Karnataka J. Agric. Sci., 21(4) : 2008

of micronutrients and FYM (Table 1). The results indicated that
the yield of Baby corn yield (64.43 q ha-1) and fodder yield (232.33
q ha-1) were significantly higher with RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg
FeSO4 + 35 kg Vermicompost over RDF (43.28 and 138.50 q ha-1
respectively) and on par with the RDF with the combination of
micronutrients and FYM. Abundant supply of nutrients through
micronutrients with organics and RDF might have increased the
protoplasmic constituents and accelerated the process of cell
division and elongation. This in turn resulted in increased baby
corn yield and fodder yield of Baby corn. Similar results were
reported by Auti et al. (1999). In case of chickpea the residual
effect of RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4 + 35 kg vermicompost
applied to Baby corn and 50 % RDF (125: 25 :12.5 kg of N,P2O5
and K2O ha-1) to succeeding chickpea gave significantly higher
yield components like pods per plant (100.33), test weight (24.80
g) and seed yield (15.46 q ha-1) over 100% RDF (8.61 q ha-1) to
chickpea and other treatment except residual effect of RDF with
combination of micronutrients and FYM and 50% RDF to

chickpea. In case of Total equivalent yield of baby corn sequence

where significantly higher (257.44 q ha-1) in RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4
+ 10 kg FeSO4 + 35 kg vermicompost over RDF and all the
treatment expect RDF with combination of micro nutrient and
FYM (Table 2). Similar results also reported by Dudhat et al.,
(1996). They reported that application of organic manure and
micronutrients progressively increased the yield of wheat and
green gram.
Among the different indicators of monetory efficacy
in any production system, the economics in terms of net return
and B: C has ratio has a grater impact on the practical utility and
acceptance of the technology. Significantly highest gross return
(Rs. 96,838 ha-1), net returns (Rs. 76,889 ha-1) and B:C ratio (3.85)
were recorded with the application of RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10
kg FeSO4 + 35 kg Vermicompost compared to RDF and all other
treatments except RDF with the micronutrients along with FYM
(Table 3). This could be mainly attributed to the higher yield.

Table 1. Effect of zinc and iron on yield and yield components of baby corn
Length of
Treatments
Baby corn
(cm)
T1 RDF(150:75:40 kg N,P2O5,K2O ha-1)
T2 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 ha-1
T3 RDF + 10 kg FeSO4 ha-1
T4 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4 ha-1
T5 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 25 kg FYM ha-1
T6 RDF + 10 kg FeSO4 + 10 kg FYM ha-1
T7 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4 + 35 kg FYM ha-1
T8 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 25 kg VC ha-1
T9 RDF + 10 kg FeSO4 + 10 kg VC ha-1
T10 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4+ 35 kg VC ha-1
S.Em
CD at 5%

5.10
5.52
5.92
5.80
6.23
6.07
7.07
6.89
6.59
7.40
0.18
0.41

Girth of
Baby corn
(cm)

Weight of
Baby corn
(g)

Babycorn
yield
(q ha-1)

Green fodder
yield
(q ha-1)

3.99
3.42
3.86
3.72
4.10
3.91
4.87
4.63
4.48
4.99
0.14
0.43

13.63
14.03
13.83
14.10
15.94
15.23
17.04
16.42
16.03
17.40
0.14
0.41

43.28
45.92
44.20
46.08
54.41
54.20
64.19
54.69
54.42
64.43
1.60
4.76

138.50
151.57
145.90
158.13
185.93
176.47
210.83
201.2
186.87
232.33
8.91
26.46

Table 2. Residual effect of zinc and iron on yield and yield components of chickpea and total equivalent yield of baby corn (q ha-1)
Pods per
Test weight
Chickpea Total equivalent
Treatments
plant
(g)
yield(q ha-1)
yield of baby
corn (q ha-1)
-1
T1 RDF (150:75:40 kg N,P2O5,K2O ha )
73.40
17.70
8.61
98.84
T2 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 ha-1
74.80
19.06
9.97
118.14
T3 RDF + 10 kg FeSO4 ha-1
75.23
18.10
9.91
113.33
-1
T4 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4 ha
76.60
19.66
10.04
119.41
T5 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 25 kg FYM ha-1
86.55
20.70
11.85
168.16
T6 RDF + 10 kg FeSO4 + 10 kg FYM ha-1
83.62
20.29
11.29
157.81
T7 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4 + 35 kg FYM ha-1
97.23
23.96
14.34
237.47
T8 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 25 kg VC ha-1
90.25
22.76
13.20
221.01
T9 RDF + 10 kg FeSO4 + 10 kg VC ha-1
87.41
22.37
12.67
178.35
T10 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4 + 35 kg VC ha-1
100.33
24.80
15.46
257.44
S.Em
1.25
0.67
0.45
0.39
CD at 5%
3.71
2.01
1.35
1.17
FYM - Farm Yard Manure

VC - Vermicompost
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Effect of Micronutrients . . . . . . . ..
Table 3. Gross return, net return and benefit cost ratio of baby corn as influenced by zinc and iron application
Gross returns
Net retruns
Treatments
(Rs.ha-1)
(Rs.ha-1)
-1
T1 RDF (150:75:40 kg N,P2O5,K2O ha )
56,587
42,413
T2 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 ha-1
65,908
51,972
T3 RDF + 10 kg FeSO4 ha-1
61,114
44,463
T4 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4 ha-1
66,744
48,299
T5 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 25 kg FYM ha-1
79,403
60,274
-1
T6 RDF + 10 kg FeSO4 + 10 kg FYM ha
77,842
58,632
T7 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4 + 35 kg FYM ha-1
93,604
74,299
T8 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 25 kg VC ha-1
82,918
63,677
T9 RDF + 10 kg FeSO4 + 10 kg VC ha-1
81,324
62,135
T10 RDF + 25 kg ZnSO4 + 10 kg FeSO4 VC ha-1
96,838
76,889
S.Em
2155.47
CD at 5%
6,401.43

Similar findings were reported by Katyal et al. (2000),). They

reported that of organic and phosphorus management of ricewheat cropping yielded highest income.
In case of RDF along with micronutrients without
organics, the gross returns (Rs 96,838), net return (Rs. 76,889
ha-1) and B:C ratio (3.85) was less compared to RDF along with

B:C ratio
2.26
2.71
2.38
2.48
3.12
3.11
3.84
3.31
3.35
3.85
0.11
0.33

micronutrients and organics.Babycornchickpea sequence

resulted in the improvement of soil health and carry over benefit
of applied residual micronutrient to succeeding chick pea.
Application of RDF along with micronutrients and organics
resulted in high quality and better consumer acceptable Baby
corn ears.

References
Auti, A.K., Wadice, S.C. and Pawar, V.S., 1999, Quality and nutrient
removes of maize (Zea mays L.) as influenced by levels and
source of fertilizer. Indian J. Agron., 454(1): 119-192.
Dudhat, M.S., Malavia,D.D., Mathukia, R.K. and Khanpara, V.D.,
1996, Effect of organic manures and chemical fertilizers on

wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and their residual effect on green

gram (Phaseolus radiatus L.). Gujarath Res . J., 22(1): 4-8.
Katyal, V., Gangwar, K.S., Gangwar, B. and Singh, K.P., 2000,
Phosphorus management in rice (Oryza sativa L.) wheat
(Triticum aestivum) cropping system. Indian J. Agron., 45 (1):
6-11.

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