Multi-environment Evaluation of Dual-Purpose Baby Corn Hybrids for Yield Stability and Forage Biomass in Rainfed Agro-Ecological Systems

Santosh Kumar^1*Pardeep - Kumar²Bansi Dhar³Bhupender Kumar²Dr Zahoor Ahmed Dar⁴Krishnan P Abhijith⁵Sravani D⁶Adity Eliza Tirkey⁷Yathish K.R.⁸Preeti Singh^9*ABHIJIT DAS²PRAMOD KUMAR PANDEY¹⁰Priya Ranjan Kumar⁹K K Singh⁵Vishal Nath⁹

• ¹Indian Agricultural Research Institute (Jharkhand), Hazaribagh, India
• ²ICAR - Indian Institute of Maize Research, Ludhiana, India
• ³ANDUAT AYODHYA, AYODHYA, India
• ⁴Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
• ⁵ICAR - Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
• ⁶Agricultural Research Station Karim Nagar, Karim nagar, India
• ⁷Rabindra Nath Tagore Agriculture College, BAU, Deoghar, Deoghar, India
• ⁸Winter Nursery Center (ICAR-IIMR), Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
• ⁹ICAR - Indian Agricultural Research Institute Jharkhand, Gauria Karma, India
• ¹⁰Central Agricultural University, Imphal, Kyrdemkulai, Meghalaya, Kyrdemkulai, India

Abstract Baby corn (Zea mays L.), harvested before silking, offers a climate-smart, dual-purpose solution by delivering both early-market fresh cobs and tender green biomass suitable for ruminant forage. This study aimed to enhance resilience and sustainability in rainfed agricultural systems by evaluating the performance and yield stability of 61 hybrids developed at ICAR-IARI, Jharkhand, across four contrasting agro-climatic zones of India—Hazaribag, Ludhiana, Karimnagar, and Srinagar. Key traits analyzed included days to first picking, baby corn weight without husk (BCWoH), total green husk weight (TGHW), and fodder weight (FW), with biomass data recorded from two representative locations. Significant genotype × environment interaction (GEI) was observed for BCWoH, indicating strong environmental influence on yield performance. In contrast, biomass traits were largely determined by location-specific factors. Advanced multivariate analyses using AMMI and GGE biplots identified hybrids CR71, CR82, and CR70 as both high-yielding and phenotypically stable across environments for BCWoH and FW, outperforming standard checks (AH7043 and CMVLBC-2). These hybrids demonstrate robust yield resilience, making them suitable for low input, rainfed conditions. Additionally, genotypes such as CR7, CR44, and CR50 displayed consistent forage yields, supporting their use in crop-livestock integrated systems. The positive correlation between cob yield and fodder traits reinforces the potential for multi-trait selection, promoting land and input-use efficiency. Such dual-purpose hybrids hold promise for sustainable intensification, especially in peri-urban zones and resource-constrained systems, aligning with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). The promising parental inbred lines further present opportunities for breeding next-generation resilient hybrids through genomic and combining ability–based strategies.