Track 2-1-2: Forage Conservation, Value Addition and Balanced Nutrition

Description

Maize (Zea mays L) is one of the most versatile emerging crops having wider adaptability under varied agro-climatic conditions both as grain and fodder. In India, maize is the third most important food crops after rice and wheat. According to an estimate it is cultivated in 8.7 m ha (2010-11) mainly during Kharif season which covers 80% area. In recent past, some new varieties of maize like quality protein maize (QPM) and baby corn have been introduced in the region considering its better economic returns (baby corn as food-feed crop) and nutritional quality over normal maize. In the last one and a half decade baby corn has emerged worldwide as one of the high value crops due to its high nutritive value and demand for use as vegetable since farmers cannot spare land for fodder production alone due to low land holding (0.34 ha) per capita. Baby corn, a food-feed crop can be a suitable alternative for the farmers to use as cash crop and fodder as indicated by economics of production (Natraj et al., 2011) and feeding value of baby corn fodder (Srichana et al., 2014). Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess the nutritive value of baby corn fodder and economics of its production compared to QPM and hybrid maize fodder to enable the farmers to have a better economic choice.

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Assessing Nutritive Value and Economics of Baby Corn Fodder (Zea mays) Production Compared to QPM and Hybrid Maize during Winter Season

Maize (Zea mays L) is one of the most versatile emerging crops having wider adaptability under varied agro-climatic conditions both as grain and fodder. In India, maize is the third most important food crops after rice and wheat. According to an estimate it is cultivated in 8.7 m ha (2010-11) mainly during Kharif season which covers 80% area. In recent past, some new varieties of maize like quality protein maize (QPM) and baby corn have been introduced in the region considering its better economic returns (baby corn as food-feed crop) and nutritional quality over normal maize. In the last one and a half decade baby corn has emerged worldwide as one of the high value crops due to its high nutritive value and demand for use as vegetable since farmers cannot spare land for fodder production alone due to low land holding (0.34 ha) per capita. Baby corn, a food-feed crop can be a suitable alternative for the farmers to use as cash crop and fodder as indicated by economics of production (Natraj et al., 2011) and feeding value of baby corn fodder (Srichana et al., 2014). Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess the nutritive value of baby corn fodder and economics of its production compared to QPM and hybrid maize fodder to enable the farmers to have a better economic choice.