Abstract

A field experiment were conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Banawara during zaid season, 2010 and 2011 on clay loam soil to find out the optimum levels of nitrogen, Azotobacter inoculation and nitrogen sources. The experiment comprising of thirty treatment combinations with three levels of nitrogen (75 % , 100% and 125% RDN), two Azotobacter ( seed inoculation and without inoculation) and five nitrogen sources (100% fertilizer-N, 50% poultry manure + 50% fertilizer-N,100% poultry manure , 50% jatropha cake + 50% fertilizer-N and 100% jatropha cake) were laid out in split plot design with four replications. Significant increase in yield, nitrogen uptake and available nitrogen in the soil were recorded under application of 125% RDN level over 75% RDN and 100% RDN levels.The Azotobacter inoculation recorded significantly higher yield of sweet corn, nitrogen uptake and available nitrogen in soil at crop harvest over no inoculation. In case of different nitrogen sources significant increase in green cob (7.93 t/ ha), green fodder (19.54 t/ha) and biological (27.47 t/ha) yields of sweet corn were recorded under application of 50% poultry manure + 50% fertilizer-N over rest of nitrogen sources but found at par with100% fertilizer-N. Application of 100% fertilizer-N and 50% poultry manure + 50% fertilizer-N were found at par in respect of nitrogen uptake by cobs, fodder and total uptake by crop but found superior over 100% poultry manure, 50% jatropha cake + 50% fertilizer-N and 100% jatropha cake, respectively. The maximum available nitrogen in the soil was recorded under application of 100% fertilizer-N over 50% poultry manure + 50% fertilizer- N,100% poultry manure, 50% jatropha cake + 50% fertilizer-N and 100% jatropha cake, respectively.

Keywords: Sweet corn, RDN, Azotobacter, Poultry manure and Jatropha cake