Reference :

Le mais jeune epi : contribution a l'etude des systemes de culture en Thailande, et de l'elaboration du redement.
Ph.D. thesis (in French)
Year : 1996

Authors :

Pramote Saridnirun

Summary :

The objectives of this dissertation are

• to investigate the importance of baby corn in agricultural production system and to assess agronomic practices at plot level, in order to understand the  production variations due to socio-economic and agronomic conditions,

• to study effects of cultural practices on yield elaboration of the baby corn.

Investigation of the production system and farmers' practicing were conducted during 1993-1995 on 3 districts of 2 provinces of Thailand, Kanchanaburi and Nakhon Pathom. It showed that the marketing system was well organized between farmers, middle-men and food-processing factories. Moreover, baby corn is very important for family income. Although it could be integrated in several agricultural activities, particularly beef and dairy cow production, the farmer can not expand their production to earn more money, because of limitation of farm size, labour management and risk of disturbing the regularity of yield and quality supplying to the factories.

Concerning yield elaboration, number of sterile plants, number of ear per plants and cob fresh weight are the important factors affecting yield and quality of baby corn. The experiments showed that :

• nitrogen nutrition affectes dry matter production and quality of baby corn : in early growth stage the nitrogen is important for plant dry matter production, and ear morphogenesis. Nitrogen is also needed for ear fresh weight production and  number of ear per plants,

• the yield depends on the seeding density. The highest yields were observed with a density close to 13 plants/mฒ,

• detasseling at 50 days after sowing with defoliation of 2-3 young leaves results to better quantitatively and qualitatively yielding ability,

• harvesting should be done 1-4 days after silking. Delaying it would give lower quality, although average yield per planted area increases. This late harvesting reduces also the second ear quality but does not affect his average yield.

Keywords :

baby corn / farmers' practicing / production system / Thailand / yield elaboration