Intercropping with legumes and detasseling of maize aiming at production of organic baby corn

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of intercropping with legumes and the detasseling to produce baby corn. Two field experiments were implemented in Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil. One experiment was with popcorn kernel and the other with sweet corn. Both experiments were conducted with seven managements: M1: maize with tassel + jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis L.); M2: maize with tassel + velvet bean (Stizolobium aterrimum); M3: maize with tassel + crotalaria (Crotalaria juncea); M4: maize without tassel and with weeding; M5: maize without tassel and without weeding; M6: maize with tassel and with weeding; M7: maize with tassel and without weeding. Popcorn kernel had 46% higher N content in the leaves than sweet corn. Popcorn kernel had 30% more cobs per plant than sweet corn. Intercropping with legumes resulted in a decrease of 28% in the productivity of commercial cobs of baby corn. The removal of the tassel resulted in an increase of 55% in the total number of cobs for popcorn kernel that was not weeded. For both cultivars, the highest commercial cob weights were obtained in maize without tassel and with weeding, without tassel and without weeding, and with tassel and with weeding.