Optimizing planting times and weed management for enhanced yield and nutritional quality of baby corn and green fodder

Abstract

A study was carried out to ascertain the impact of planting time and weeding schedule on the yield and quality of baby corn. The trial included three planting times viz. 15 November, 15 December and 14 January and five levels of weeding regime viz. no weeding, two hand weeding (HW) at 15 days after sowing (DAS) and 30 DAS, herbicide pendimethalin @ 2.5 L ha-1 (pre-emergence) + one HW at 30 DAS, herbicide pyrazosulfuran-ethyl @ 2.0 L ha-1 (post-emergence) + one HW at 30 DAS and combined herbicide of pendimethalin + pyrazosulfuran-ethyl. The maximum cob yield with husk (11.93 t ha-1) and cob yield without husk (3.07 t ha-1) were obtained from the 15 December sowing with the application of pendimethalin followed by pyrazosulfuran-ethyl. Plants sown on 15 December with the application pyrazosulfuran-ethyl with one HW at 30 DAS gave the highest protein content in cobs (20.20%), while the leaf protein content showed the highest result (18.70%) in the plants sown on 15 December with no weeding. Therefore, it can be concluded that the baby corn might be planted on December 15 with the combined application of pendimethalin + pyrazosulfuran-ethyl herbicides and pyrazosulfuran-ethyl + one HW at 30 DAS for maximum cob yield and protein content, respectively.