Pantnagar Journal of Research

Abstract

To study the response of sweet corn to varied fertilizer doses and planting geometry, a field experiment was conducted at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand during kharif 2018.Four planting geometries (60 × 25 cm, 60 × 30 cm, 75 × 25 cm and 75 × 30 cm) were assigned to main plots, while three doses of NPK (120+60+40, 150+75+50 and 180+90+60 kg N+P₂O₅ +K₂O/ha) were allocated to sub plots with in a splitplot design. The results revealed that the narrowest planting geometry, i.e., 60 × 25 cm, exhibited significantly higher husked cob yield (13325 kg/ha) and dehusked cob yield (10327 kg/ha) compared to the widest geometry of 75 × 30 cm, although it remained comparable with the other geometries. Planting geometry did not significantly affect the uptake of N, P and K. Notably, the 60 × 25 cm geometry resulted in significantly higher gross returns (Rs. 199875/ha), which were on par with the 60 × 30 cm geometry. Similarly, the net returns (Rs. 150176/ha) and BC ratio (3.02) were maximum under the 60 × 25 cm geometry, although differences were not significant. Regarding nutrient levels, the application of 180+90+60 kg N+P₂O₅ +K₂O/ha resulted increase in husked cob yield (12687 kg/ha) and dehusked cob yield (10351 kg/ha), but the differences were not significant. However, crops fertilized with 180+90+60 kg N+P₂O₅ +K₂O/ha exhibited significantly higher nutrient uptake. Gross returns, net returns and BC ratio did not significantly differ among different nutrient levels