Influence of Nitrogen Fertilization Rates and Legume Cover Crop On Water Use and Yield Response of Two Sweet Corn Cultivars

The goal of this study was to evaluate how a legume cover crop and nitrogen fertilization rates would impact sweet corn cultivars Frosty (C1) and Avalon (C2) marketable fresh yield and water use (WU). The following cover crop (crimson clover, CC), nitrogen rates (no=0N, half=HN and full=FN), and cultivar treatments were applied using randomized complete block design with three replications: 1) CC-0N-C1, 2) CC-0N-C2, 3) CC-HN-C1, 4) CC-HN-C2, 5) CC-FN-C1, and 6) CC-FN-C2. Sweet corn seeds were field planted in the spring of 2009. Frosty and Avalon cultivars were harvested seventy-one days after planting. Four bi-weekly (16 June= vegetative, 2 July= tasseling, 17 July= ear filling, and 28 July= mature ear) volumetric soil water percentages were measured at a depth of 0-30 cm. Treatment CC-FN-C2 produced maximum fresh market yield (12.7 Mg/ha), but that was not statistically greater than those produced by CC-HN-C2 (12.4 Mg/ha). Minimum yield (6.1 Mg/ha) was produced by CC-0N-C1. Between Frosty and Avalon cultivars over all dates, WU was highest for C1grown in CC-0N and lowest for CC-HN-C1. First year results indicate that cv. Avalon in crimson clover at full nitrogen rate had highest yield and second highest water use while cv. Frosty in CC-0N had lowest yield and lowest WU.