Performance of Baby corn (Zea mays L.) as influenced by weed management and intercropping system under rainfed upland situation of North Bank Plain Zone of Assam
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted during the kharif season (2024-25) at the experimental field of the All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture (AICRPDA), Biswanath College of Agriculture, Assam, to evaluate suitable weed management and intercropping systems for baby corn (Zea mays L.) under rainfed upland conditions. The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized block design with six treatments comprising three intercropping systems (I₁: Sole baby corn; I₂: Baby corn + black gram; I₃: Baby corn + green gram) and two weed management methods (W₁: Mechanical weeding; W₂: Integrated weed management—mechanical + chemical), replicated four times. Results indicated that sole baby corn (I₁) recorded the highest baby corn yield (39.08 q ha⁻¹) and green fodder yield (169.76 q ha⁻¹). However, the baby corn + green gram intercropping system (I₃) achieved the highest system equivalent yield (40.95 q ha⁻¹), gross return (₹4,09,497.50 ha⁻¹), net return (₹3,20,609.10 ha⁻¹), and benefit-cost ratio (4.60). Among weed management practices, integrated weed management (W₂) resulted in significantly higher baby corn yield (37.01 q ha⁻¹) and green fodder yield (168.90 q ha⁻¹), along with superior net returns (₹3,17,414.80 ha⁻¹) and B:C ratio (4.95). It is concluded that baby corn intercropped with green gram under integrated weed management is the most productive and economically viable system for rainfed uplands of the North Bank Plain Zone of Assam.
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Introduction
Maize is one of the most versatile crops, capable of being grown under diverse environmental conditions, and has diversified uses as human food and animal feed. Due to its vast potential, it is often regarded as the “Queen of cereals.” For diversification and value addition of maize, as well as for the growth of the food processing industry, several new vegetable types have been developed, among which baby corn is prominent (Muthukumar et al., 2005). Baby corn is a nutritious and palatable vegetable that is gaining popularity in urban markets. Because of its sweet taste and nutritional value, it is in high demand in hotels and restaurants. Das et al. (2009) reported that 100 g of baby corn contains 0.2 g fat, 1.9 g protein, 8.2 g carbohydrate, 0.06 g ash, 28.0 mg calcium, 86.0 mg phosphorus, and 11.0 mg ascorbic acid. It is particularly rich in phosphorus (86 mg per 100 g edible portion compared to 21–57 mg in other common vegetables) and is a low-calorie, high-fiber, cholesterol-free vegetable. Thus, it has emerged as a potential crop for enhancing food and nutritional security.
Conclusion
The study concludes that while sole baby corn gives higher corn yield, baby corn intercropped with green gram provides the highest system productivity and economic returns in rainfed uplands of Assam. Integrated weed management (atrazine preemergence + one hand hoeing) is more effective than mechanical weeding alone in enhancing baby corn yield and profitability. Therefore, adopting baby corn + green gram intercropping along with integrated weed management is recommended for maximizing productivity and income in the rainfed upland ecosystems of the North Bank Plain Zone of Assam.
References
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