Response of Rabi Sweet Corn (Zea mays saccharata L.) to Irrigation and Mulching in Konkan Region of Maharashtra

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted on coastal lateritic soils of Konkan region to study the effect of irrigation methods, irrigation regimes and mulches on the performance of Rabi sweet corn during Rabi season of years 2014-15 and 2015-16. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with four main plot and five sub plot treatments. The main plot treatments comprised of four combinations of irrigation methods and irrigation levels viz., Drip irrigation with 100% water  requirement, Drip irrigation with 75% water requirement, Check basin irrigation with 100% water requirement and Check basin irrigation with 75% water requirement. The five sub plot treatments consisted different types of mulches viz., No mulch i.e. control, Paddy straw mulch, Black polythene mulch, Transparent polythene mulch and Silver polythene mulch. Thus, there were twenty treatment combinations, replicated thrice. Results in the pooled mean data revealed that, the sweet corn crop grown under drip irrigation with 100% water requirement recorded higher plant height, stem girth and dry matter production which resulted into significantly higher weight of cob with husk and green cob yield over all other treatments. Among different mulches the black polythene mulch recorded significantly higher mean plant height, stem girth and dry matter production which resulted into significantly higher weight of cob with husk and green cob yield over all other treatments in the pooled data. However higher total sugar content in sweet corn was recorded under irrigation with 100 % water requirement grown under black polythene mulch as compare to rest of the mulches in the pooled data of both the years.