| Fresh sweet and waxy corn has gained increasing popularity among consumers and growers because of its nutritional value, unique flavor, multiple cropping potential, and high economic returns. Jinghe County utilizes favorable early spring light and heat resources to develop fresh sweet and waxy corn production in spring small arch tunnels, thereby increasing farmers’ income. To identify early maturing, stable yielding, and well adapted varieties, five high quality varieties were introduced and evaluated in a screening trial. Field observations of agronomic traits and measurements of yield and quality were subjected to analysis of variance, which indicated that ‘Zaobai 2017’ showed the best overall performance across key indicators. Its growth duration was 80 days, enabling early maturity and marketing. It had the lowest ear height, which may contribute to lodging resistance, and exhibited the largest ear diameter, the highest number of kernel rows per ear, the greatest single ear weight, the highest plot yield, the highest estimated yield per unit area, and the highest total quality score. Overall, ‘Zaobai 2017’ showed the best comprehensive performance and is recommended for early spring fresh sweet and waxy corn production in spring small arch tunnels in Jinghe County. |
