PAU GIVES USEFUL TIPS FOR BABY-CORN CULTIVATION

LUDHIANA, MARCH 4:(Anmol Singh)

Holding a great demand in the five-star hotels, airlines and shipping companies, Baby-corn is being exported to the western countries by the private companies. It can be eaten raw as salad as well as after cooking as vegetable. As the baby-corn occupies an important place in the food items, PAU has recommended baby-corn hybrid variety 'Parkash' and composite variety 'Kesari,' stated PAU scientists of Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, while providing useful tips to the farmers about the baby-corn cultivation.

Defining the baby-corn, Dr Sukhchain, termed it as a young ear or cob of the maize plant in which skills have just emerged. Crop raised for baby-corn takes about 60-65 days to yield the cobs, said he, adding that the remaining plant can be used as fodder for the cattle. Referring to PAU recommended variety; the expert said that the yield of 'Parkash' is about 7q/acre while Kesari yields about 5.7q/acre. Hybrid 'Parkash' is more suitable than 'Kesari' because of the higher yield of uniform and good quality baby-corn ears.

Educating the farmers about the baby-corn cultivation, Dr S.P.S.Brar elaborated it can be sown at any time from April to August. It is possible to take two or more crops from the same field as the crop terminates in 60-76 days, said the PAU scientist, adding that staggered sowing may be done to maintain the supply as per requirement. Dr Brar stressed that plant spacing between the lines and within the line should be kept one foot and eight inches, respectively. Advising to use 16 kg seed for an acre, he asked the farmers to apply 24 kg nitrogen (52kg Urea) in two equal splits, first split at sowing and the second split when the crop is knee high.

As the ears of baby-corn when picked later become pithy and woody, Dr Mahesh Kumar recommended the participants to pick the young baby-corn ears immediately at the silk emergence stage. He emphasized to take only two or three picks per plant for it is important to remove the tassel before complete emergence in order to prevent pollination and deterioration of quality. While carrying out dehusking, keep single layer of husk on it for selling the produce in the market, added he.

PAU experts impressed upon the growers to follow other recommendations such as field preparation, weed control and fertilizer use as in the case of the grain crop.
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