Effect of Cover Crops on Yield, Quality, and Soil Properties in No-till Baby Corn.

The effects of three cover crops (pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), fodder maize (Zea mays L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)) and days to chopping of cover crops on the yield and quality, and soil conditions were evaluated during kharif 2014 and 2015 in a no-till baby corn (Zea mays L.) crop field located at Research Farm, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design and the treatment replicated four times. Three cover crops were assigned as the main plot treatment, while three times of chopping (25, 35, 45 days after sowing (DAS)) constituted the sub-plot treatment. Results revealed that different cover crops and days to chopping had significant effect on yield, quality, microclimate and soil conditions in no-till baby corn. The maximum baby corn and green fodder yields (green stem and leaves of baby corn) were obtained from pearl millet treatment chopping on 45 DAS during both years. The highest baby corn cob yield of 1.45 and 1.51 t ha^-1 was also recorded for pearl millet treatment. However, the effect of cover crops on the baby corn fodder yield was insignificant. Time of chopping of cover crops had significant effect on protein, sugar content, starch content and crude fiber of baby corn, while the effect of different cover crops was insignificant. Photosynthetically active radiation interception observed for baby corn after 30 days was similar for both 35 and 45 DAS sub-plots. Soil temperature observed in baby corn plots on 30 DAS was significantly affected by time of chopping treatments. Soil organic carbon and available N in soil measured after baby corn harvest were significantly affected by time of chopping, whereas soil bulk density, pH, and EC were not affected by treatments.