Effect of Irrigation, Tillage, and Mulch Management on the Growth, Yield, and Quality of Baby Corn (Zea mays L.)

Baby corn, being a high-yielding crop, requires of water per cycle, with irrigation during flowering and yield formation stages being most critical. Deficit irrigation, helps conserve water by reducing irrigation without major yield loss. The present study aimed to determines the effect of irrigation, tillage, and mulch management on the growth, yield, and quality of baby corn (Zea mays L.). A field experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2024-25 at the Agricultural Research Station, Brinjhagiri, Chattabar of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Siksha O Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. The experimental site is situated in the South East Coastal Plain Zone of India, specifically at Latitude 20.46° N and Longitude 85.67° E. The experiment was conducted using a split-plot design with three replications. The main plot treatments comprised three irrigation levels: I1 (7 cm depth of irrigation at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after sowing), I2 (5 cm depth of irrigation at the same intervals), and I3 (3 cm depth of irrigation at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after sowing). The sub-plot treatments involved four conservation practices: C1 (zero tillage without mulch), C2 (zero tillage with paddy straw mulch at 4 t ha⁻¹), C3 (conventional tillage without mulch), and C4 (conventional tillage with paddy straw mulch at 4 t ha⁻¹). The experimental field was sandy loam in texture, slightly acidic in reaction pH (5.65), EC (7.35dS/m), low in soil organic carbon content (0.42%) and medium in available nitrogen (257.3 kg/ha), phosphorus (19.7 kg/ha) and potassium (174.8 kg/ha). The recommended dose of fertilizer @ 120-60- 60 N, P2O5, K2O kg/ha was used and the spacing of the crop was 50cm x 20cm. Effect of yield attributes, yield, uptake, quality, soil nutrient status, water use efficiency and economics of baby corn were significantly influenced by different irrigation levels and conservation practices management. At harvest, 7cm depth of irrigation 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after sowing recorded highest fresh corn weight (35.1 g/plant), corn yield (1.39 t/ha), green fodder yield (21.6 t/ha), biological yield (27.4 t/ha), crude protein content in corn (10.58%) and protein yield (147.18 kg/ha). Conventional tillage with paddy straw mulch @ 4t ha-1 recorded fresh corn weight (36.7 g/plants), corn yield (1.42 t/ha), green fodder yield (21.6t/ha), biological yield (28.1 t/ha), crude protein content and protein yield in corn (10.63% and 151.13 kg/ha) and in fodder (3.96% and 85.51 kg/ha). WUE recorded the highest (7.58 kg/ha-mm) in 3cm depth of irrigation at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after sowing + conventional tillage with paddy straw mulch @ 4t ha -1. From this experiment, it can be concluded that the corn yield (1.52 t/ha), and fodder yield (22.45 t/ha) observed maximum by 7cm depth of irrigation at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after sowing with conventional tillage + paddy straw mulch @ 4 t/ha. The gross return (Rs. 227850/-) and net return (Rs. 162383/-) recorded the highest in 7cm depth of irrigation at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after sowing with conventional tillage + paddy straw mulch @ 4 t/ha. The return per rupees investment calculated maximum (3.62) in 5cm depth of irrigation at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after sowing with zero tillage + paddy straw mulch @ 4 t/ha and being at par with 7cm depth of irrigation at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after sowing with zero tillage + paddy straw mulch @ 4 t/ha (3.58).