Effect of planting techniques and irrigation scheduling on productivity and water use efficiency of sweet corn (Zea mays saccharata).

摘要

A field experiment was conducted at Pantnagar in spring of 2009 and 2010 to study the response of planting techniques and irrigation schedules on productivity and profitability of sweet corn (Zea mays saccharata). The experiment consisted of three planting techniques viz. flat planting, flat planting followed by earthing up at 25 days after sowing and ridge planting, and four irrigation schedules i.e. irrigation at 50, 75 and 100 mm CPE and crop critical growth stages (knee high, tasseling, silking and grain filling) was laid out at factorial randomized block design with three replications. The pooled results revealed that the increase in green cobs and fodder yields was 5.1 and 15.2% and 5.0 and 12.6% on ridge planted over flat+earthing up and flat planted sweet corn, respectively. Similarly ridge planting was found superior with highest water use efficiency and net profit. Among the irrigation schedules, irrigation at 75 mm CPE gave 5.9, 10.7 and 13.9% higher green cobs than irrigation scheduled at 50 mm CPE and 100 mm CPE and critical growth stages, respectively. Besides, ridge planting with irrigation scheduled at 75 mm CPE had the highest water use efficiency and net profit. It is therefore concluded that spring sweet corn may be planted on ridges and irrigation be scheduled at 75 mm CPE for higher productivity, profitability and water use efficiency.