Effect of organic manures and nano-zinc on growth and yield of sweetcorn

A field experiment was conducted during Kharif season of 2023 at Crop Research Farm Department of Agronomy. The treatments consisted of 3 different treatment of organic manures (Farm yard manure, poultry manure and vermicompost) and 3 levels of nano-zinc foliar spray (100 ppm, 250 ppm and 500 ppm), control (120-60-40 kg N-P-K/ha). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with 10 treatments and replication thrice. Application of vermicompost 4 t/ha along with 500 ppm foliar spray of Nano-Zinc (Treatment 9) recorded highest plant height (182.48 cm), maximum plant dry weight (138.02 g), highest no. cobs per plant (2.71), highest no. of grains per row (36.94), highest no. of rows per cob (15.75), cob-length (17.26 cm), cob yield (6.93 t/ha), green fodder yield (14.92 t/ha). The aforesaid treatment 9 also recorded maximum gross return (INR 1,63,050), net return (INR 1,14,065) and B:C ratio (2.33).