Various Organic Nutrient Sources in Combinations with Inorganic Fertilizers Influence the Yield and Quality of Sweet Corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) in New Alluvial Soils of West Bengal, India

Nutrient management plays a crucial role in the yield and quality of sweet corn. A field experiment was conducted in consecutive two kharif seasons in 2018 and 2019 to investigate the effect of various organic sources of nutrients in combination with inorganic sources on the yield and quality of sweet corn under new alluvial soils of West Bengal, India. Treatments were: T₁: Control (without fertilizers); T₂: 100% recommended dose (RDF) of chemical fertilizers (CF) (RDF CF_100%); T₃: 100% recommended dose of N (RDN) through vermicompost (VC) (RDN VC_100%); T₄: 50 RDN through CF + 50% RDN through VC (RDN CF_50% + RDN VC_50%); T₅: 50% RDF through CF + 50% RDN through organic source (OS)1, Soligro (Ascophyllum nodosum) granular (RDN CF_50% + RDN OS_150%); T₆: 50% RDN through CF + 50% RDN through OS 2, Bioenzyme (liquid) (RDN CF_50% + RDN OS_250%); T₇: 50% RDN through CF + 50% RDN through OS 3, Opteine (Ascophyllum nodosum) filtrate [RDN CF_50% + RDN OS_350%]; T₈: 50% RDN through VC + 50% RDF through OS 1, Soligro (Ascophyllum nodosum) granular (RDN VC_50% + RDN OS_150%). The OS of fertilizers were VC, SoliGro Gr (OS1) (Ascophyllum nodosum), Bioenzyme liquid (OS2), and Opteine (Ascophyllum nodosum) filtrate (OS3). The inorganic source was traditional CF applied at the RDF (150:75:75 kg ha⁻¹ of N: P₂O₅:K₂O). The VC was used to supply 100% RDN as one source or 50% RDN when combined with CF or OS. Maximum fruit yield (10.75 and 10.79 t ha⁻¹ in 2018 and 2019, respectively) was recorded when RDF was substituted through CF only, being statistically at par with 50% CF + 50% VC on a nitrogen equivalent basis (9.92 and 10.00 t ha⁻¹ in 2018 and 2019, respectively) and 100% VC (8.22 and 8.32 t ha⁻¹ in 2018 and 2019, respectively). Compared to chemical sources of nutrients, VC-based treatments produced a larger percentage of large-size cob (>25 cm). The 100% VC increased antioxidant (8.35 and 8.45 mg g⁻¹), carotenoid (0.59 and 0.61 mg/100 g), and phenol (55.06 and 55.02 mg 100 g⁻¹) content compared with its 50% dose in combination with other sources. The study revealed the potentiality of organic sources towards achieving improved cob quality of sweet corn.