Issue
Agron. Sustain. Dev.
Volume 25, Number 4, October-December 2005
Page(s) 433 - 438
DOI https://doi.org/10.1051/agro:2005044
Agron. Sustain. Dev. 25 (2005) 433-438
DOI: 10.1051/agro:2005044

Effect of green manuring on the yield of sweet corn

Ilhan Turgut, Ugur Bilgili, Ahmet Duman and Esvet Acikgoz

Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Uludag University, 16059, Gorukle Campus, Bursa, Turkey

(Accepted 10 May 2005)

Abstract - Experiments were conducted on a clay soil to assess the effects of green manuring of three annual legumes and nitrogen fertilization on sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata Sturt.), during three growing seasons (2001-2003). The green manuring legumes were field pea (Pisum sativum L.), common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and faba bean (Vicia faba L.) N fertilization ranged from 0 to 360 kg ha-1. On a three-year average, field pea (3 065 kg ha-1) and common vetch (2 647 kg ha-1) consistently had higher aboveground dry matter yields than faba bean (1307 kg ha-1). Field pea and common vetch had N contents of 68.7 and 54.0 kg ha-1, respectively, in aboveground dry matter in the spring. The average N content of faba bean was only 30.0 kg ha-1. Green manuring treatments and N fertilization had different effects on yield components of sweet corn. Average ear yields of corn were significantly greater in plots receiving green manuring (15 127 kg ha-1) than those without green manuring (13 826 kg ha-1). The ear yields following green manuring legumes were 33-39% higher compared with fallow under unfertilized conditions. Ear yield of corn generally increased with an increasing rate of N fertilizer. Although the combined use of green manuring and 240 and 360 kg ha-1 N fertilization produced high ear yields, there were no statistically significant increases beyond 120 kg ha-1 N.


Key words: sweet corn / Zea mays var. saccharata / green manuring / field pea / common vetch / faba bean / nitrogen fertilization

Corresponding author: Esvet Acikgoz esvet@uludag.edu.tr

© INRA, EDP Sciences 2005