Effects of nitrogen application on corn yield after harvesting the apical ear as baby corn

Abstract

Removal of the first female inflorescence in corn induces the plant to produce new inflorescences, which allows the first ear to be harvested as baby corn and the second to be harvested as green or mature ear (dry corn). The objective of this study was to compare the following production systems fertilized with nitrogen levels (0, 80, and 160 kg ha -1 ), applied to corn hybrid AG 1051: baby corn harvesting (BC); green ear harvesting (GC); mature ear harvesting (DC); and harvesting of the first female inflorescence as baby corn + harvesting the other ears as green corn (BC + GC) or as dry corn (BC + DC). A randomized complete block design with split-plots (nitrogen in plots) and nine replicates was used. The BC system provided higher baby corn yields than the BC + GC or the BC + DC systems. For all traits employed to evaluate green corn yield, the GC system provided higher yields than the BC + GC system. The BC + DC system provided lower grain yield than the DC system. The application of nitrogen provided increases in all traits evaluated, except for number of kernels ear -1 and 100-kernel weight. The revenue (total and additional total) and additional profit values, in descending order, were obtained with the BC, BC + GC, BC + DC, GC, and DC systems, for all nitrogen levels. The values for those measurements increased as nitrogen dose increased. At the dose of 80 kg N ha -1 , the highest profitability index (percentage of additional revenue that is converted into additional profit) was obtained from DC sales. However, with the application of the highest nitrogen rate, the highest profitability was obtained from BC sales.

Growth and yield of baby corn as influenced by nitrogen topdressing

“…The values of CV and in all the variables (Table 2) were within the limits reported in the literature (Pizolato Neto et al, 2016;Silva et al, 2013Silva et al, , 2016Souza et al, 2016), what guarantees a good accuracy in the experiment. However, the CV and is not best suited to assess the accuracy of a study, since its estimates considers only the residual variance as a proportion of the average of the experiment (Resende and Duarte, 2007).…”

“…The dose corresponding to the lowest yield was 50.89 kg ha -1 of N. From that dose there was yield increase, allied to yield without straw (Figure 2), and the highest proportion of spikelet without straw, 40.26% was obtained with the application of 120 kg ha -1 of N. Silva et al (2013) productive response and economic yield with the maximum dose of nitrogen (160 kg ha -1 N).…”

Nitrogen Management in Baby Corn: A Review

“…Profitability index was higher for baby corn with application of 160 kg N/ha while for mature cob it was 80 kg/ha. Nitrogen interacted with the production system only when all the cobs were harvested as baby corn thus provided higher yields [22].…”

Biometric analysis in maize genotypes suitable for baby corn production in organic farming system

“…We evaluated: number of marketable spikes (NEC) (plot average converted to spikes ha -1 ); production of marketable spikes (PC) (plot average of total mass of spikes, in t ha -1 ); plant height (ALT) (in cm, measured from the base of the stem up to the apex of the tassel); length of marketable spikes (CE) (in cm); diameter of marketable spikes (DE) (with the aid of a caliper in the center of each spike, in mm); stem diameter (DC) (using a caliper next to the stem basis, in mm); final stand (EST) (counting the number of maize plants of the useful area of the plot, converted to one hectare); shoot dry mass (MS) (t ha -1 ); number of spikes per plant (NEP) (dividing the total number of spikes by the final stand); crude protein (PB) (percentage of dry mass). To determine marketable production, all spikes of the useful area were unhusked and weighed, being, right after, selected and counted the spikes which corresponded to the marketable standard described by Silva et al (2013).…”