Relationships between potassium uptakes and yield performances of sweet corn grown under organic production system

Abstract

Production of sweet corn under organic production system was applied both solid and liquid organic fertilizer.  Such production system might alter potassium availability to yield performances of sweet corn.  The relationship between potassium uptakes and yields of sweet corn were determined.  Twenty sweet corn varieties were grown under organic environment where soil was fertilized with 30 tons ha^-1 of cattle-based vermicompost.  Each plant was applied with thitonia-enriched liquid organic fertilizer of 50, 100, 200, 300 ml at 14, 21, 28 and 35 days of planting.  Yield performances were recorded leaf potassium content, green biomass per plant, weight of husked ear, and weight of unhusked ear, sweet corn yield per plot and days to harvesting. Potassium uptakes by plants were calculated as ratio of plant potassium content and shoot dry weight per plant. Results indicated that potassium uptakes by sweet corn significantly increased shoot dry weight per plant (r=0.932), weight of husked ear (r=0.635) and sweet corn yield per plot (r=0.856). However, potassium uptakes by sweet corn did not significantly increase leaf potassium content (r=0.539) and weight of unhusked ear (r=0.515). In addition, potassium uptakes by sweet corn did not significantly decrease days to harvesting (r=0.130).