Vol. 11, Issue 7 (2022)

Author(s):
PA Pagar, Dr. SB Pawar, Dr. BV Asewar and Dr. DK Patil

Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted at Research farm of National Agricultural Research Project, Aurangabad (M.S.) during two kharif -rabi seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21 to study the effect of spacing and nutrient management on sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) - chickpea (Cicer arietinum) under sequence cropping. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. The factors consisted of three spacing (60 cm x 20 cm, 75 cm x 20 cm and 90 cm x 20 cm for sweet corn), three fertilizer levels (F₁-160:60:60 kg NPK ha^-1, F₂-180:70:70 kg NPK ha^-1, F₃-200:80:80 kg NPK ha^-1) and two biofertilizer levels (B₀ - No Bio-fertilizers and B₁– Azotobacter/ Rhizobium+ PSB + KSB (10 ml each kg ^-1 seed). Fertilizers were applied to sweet corn in kharif season and its residual effect on succeeding chick pea in rabi season was studied. The results revealed that sweet corn sown at wider plant geometry of 90 cm x 20 cm (S₃) recorded higher growth and yield attributes but closer plant geometry of 60 cm x 20 cm (S₁) recorded higher cob yield, net returns and B:C ratio of sweet corn crop. Application of fertilizer level F₃-200:80:80 kg NPK ha^-1 recorded higher growth, yield attributes, cob yield, net returns and B:C ratio of sweet corn but it was statistically on par with fertilizer level F₂-180:70:70 kg NPK ha^-1. Seed inoculation of biofertilizers i.e. B₁– Azotobacter (to Sweet corn) and Rhizobium (to chick pea) + PSB + KSB (10 ml each kg ^-1 seed) at sowing recorded higher growth, yield attributing characters, cob yield, net returns and B:C ratio as compared over control or no biofertilizer seed treatment (B₀) during both the years.