Year: 2014 | Month: September | Volume 7 | Issue 3
Biological Efficiency of Legume Intercrops in Baby Corn (Zea Mays L.)
Abstract:
Field experiments were conducted at the Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to study the effect of crop geometry, intercropping and topping on the productivity and biological efficiency of baby corn. Crop geometry (60 x 20 cm and 75 x 16 cm) and intercropping (baby corn alone, baby corn + fenugreek (greens), baby corn + fodder cowpea) were assigned to main plots. Four topping practices (detasseling alone, topping beyond 9th, 10th and 11th internodes) was allotted to sub plots. The results revealed that baby corn raised at 75 x 16 cm produced higher green cob yield over 60 x 20 cm. Intercropping systems did not have positive influence on yield of baby corn. The highest green cob yield was obtained with topping beyond 10th internode. Higher baby corn equivalent yield (BEY) was obtained with baby corn + fenugreek grown under 75 cm row spacing combined with topping beyond 10th internode. Biological use efficiency as measured by the indices like LER, AHER, LEC, MER and RNRI were higher with baby corn + fenugreek grown under 75 cm row spacing combined with topping beyond 10th internode. However, baby corn intercropped with fodder cowpea at 75 cm row spacing combined with topping beyond 10th internode registered the higher ATER than the other treatment combinations.
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