Contribution of cover crops to sustainable sweet corn production (Zea mays L. saccharata Sturt.)

In sustainable systems, the production of sweet corn, which is exclusively used for human consumption, has a major role. The application of cover crops in the technology of growing sweet corn represents a sustainable agricultural practice that can have a positive impact on the quality of the kernel. The aim of the research was to examine the influence of cover crops with the application of microbiological fertilizer (F) on the yield and kernel quality of maize hybrids with specific characteristics. The experiment was set up according to a split-plot design on the property of the Maize Research Institute „Zemun Polje“, in Zemun Polje. During one growing season, cover crops were grown (T2 - winter oats, T3 - common vetch, T4 - fodder kale, T5 - fodder peas). After their mowing and plowing, half of the elementary plot (17.5 m2) was treated with F and sweet corn (hybrid ZP 424su) was sown at the beginning of May (65.000 plants per ha). Ears were harvested 22-25 days after fertilization. Statistical processing of the data was done by ANOVA and tested with the Tuckey test in the program IBM SPSS Statistics, version 26.0. Cover crops and interaction with F showed a statistically significant effect on kernel yield and total sugars. The highest average kernel yield was achieved in the treatment with fodder kale (5.31tha-1) and shelling percentage of 58.33%. Compared to the control, the highest content of total sugars in the kernel was measured in the treatment with common vetch and winter oats with the application of F and ranged from 5.36-5.38%. The highest content of the dominant sugar sucrose in the kernel was recorded in the treatment in which sweet corn was grown after fodder peas (1.13%). The results show that cover crops can be an important tool for producing healthier and better quality food.