Influence of nano nitrogen on growth, quality and nutrient uptake of Kharif sweet corn (Zea mays Saccharata)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted for boosting the productivity of kharif sweet corn (Zea mays Saccharata) at Agronomy Farm,RCSM College of Agriculture, Kolhapur (M.S.), India during kharif, 2020 in black Vertisolsoil using split plot design with four replications and two factors, where main plot factors consist of time of application viz T1:15 days after sowing (DAS), T2: 30 DAS and T3: 45 DAS and sub plot factors consist of levels of nano nitrogen (N) fertilizers vizN1: 1.00 L ha-1, N2: 1.25 L ha-1 and N3:1.50 L ha-1. The results showed that at harvest, maximum plant height (183.41 cm), number of leaves (8.86 plant-1), leaf area (58.40 dm2plant-1), dry matter accumulation (117.18 gplant-1), length of cob (18.55 cm), diameter of cob (16.83 cm), weight of cob per plant (208.65 g), number of grains (371.25 cob-1), green cob yield (125.96 q ha-1), green fodder yield (344.39 q ha-1), total uptake plant in total ((264, 98 and 230 kg ha-1),yield of protein by grain (92.89 g kg-1) and stover (50.96 g kg-1) were obtained from treatment N3 (1.5 L ha-1) which was on par with treatment N2 (1.25 L ha-1) and significantly superior over N1 (1 L ha-1). While main plot showed that at harvest plant height (191.90 cm), number of leaves(10.09plant-1), leaf area (62.63 dm2plant-1), dry matter accumulation (123.51 gplant-1), length of cob (20.56 cm), diameter of cob (19.71 cm), weight of cob (222.29 g plant-1), number of grains (402.07 cob-1), green cob yield (138.32q ha-1),stover yield (359.75q ha-1), total uptake(287, 113 and 262 kg ha-1), yield of protein by grain (97.36 g kg-1) and stover (51.77 g kg-1)were significantly maximum when foliar spray of NN was done at 15 (DAS). The foliar application at 15 DAS had taken minimum number of days to reach 50 per cent of tasselling (51.62 days) and silking (55.97 days).