Effect of Different Schedules of Baby Corn (Zea mays L.) Harvests On Baby Corn Yield, Grain Yield, and Economic Return.

Baby corn (Zea mays L.) consists of unfertilized ears harvested within two or three days following silk emergence. Ears ranging from 4 to 9 cm length and 1.0 to 1.5 cm diameter with straight ovary rows are acceptable for commercial market. Baby corn (BC) production is similar to that of other corns with exception of its intensive labor for harvesting and processing. As a specialty crop, BC is consumed fresh, frozen, pickled, or canned but has received minimal research support. Following three successive years of BC research at Western Kentucky University (36.93 N, 86.47 E), the present field study was conducted in 2009 to compare yields and estimated economic returns for field corn hybrids subjected to four harvest systems: 1) no BC harvest, only grain harvest, 2) first harvest as BC, final harvest as grain, 3) first and second harvests as BC, final for grain, and 4) first, second, and third harvests as BC, final harvest as grain. BC harvests were initiated at silking and repeated at weekly intervals. Average BC yields (Kg/ha) for Treatments 2, 3, and 4 were 1445.1, 2681.8, and 3437.5; average grain yields (Kg/ha) for Treatments 1, 2, and 3 were 12522.2, 8226.5, and 1380.9; respectively. Based upon local price of BC and current kernel price for grain, estimated returns ($/ha) were 990, 3021, 6054, and 6437 for Treatments 1, 2, 3, and 4; respectively. Weekly intervals between BC harvests were too long permitting a number of ears to exceed commercial standards for size. Few grain kernels were found after three BC harvests (Treatment 4), indicating that pollen production had ceased. These preliminary results showed that BC can be a profitable specialty crop, especially when market demands are met through multiple harvests. Combined BC and grain harvests will be further investigated to determine the impact of shorter intervals between BC harvests and, consequently, shorter periods of BC harvest upon the continued availability of pollen for grain production.