Sweet corn : A boon for the Manipur farmers

Saiba Siddiqui, Dr S Dayananda Singh, Dr M Sumarjit Singh
Contd from previous issue
Biological control is a cornerstone of contemporary IPM: deploying natural enemies such as parasitoids (e.g., Trichogramma spp.) and predatory insects effectively reduces pest populations. Chemical control remains an important IPM component but is increasingly applied with precision based on economic thresholds and pest monitoring to minimize non-target impacts and delay resistance evolution. Application of Emamectin Benzoate for controlling lepidopteran insect such as Army worn @1.5-2 gram per lit or 150- 225 gram per pari is recommended for 2-3 times.Farmers can also go for organic management techniques such as applying neem oil or ashes on affected shoot. Some farmers reported application of sand on the growing shoot of young sweet corn.
9. Harvesting
Sweet corn is characteristically early-maturing, generally reaching harvestable stage within 70–80 days. At the correct harvest stage, silks begin to dry and turn brown, while ears feel turgid and well-filled having the green colour intact, silk is peeled back and a kernel is pressed. In this process milky sap should exude. This ensures the optimum time of harvesting for sweet corn to get high marketable quality. Harvesting is ideally conducted during the early morning hours to retain maximum sweetness and freshness.                                To be contd