Two field experiments were carried out during summer and nili $easqns of 1999
and 2000 to achieve a study on ear characters. lolal yield and its componenls and
storabiUIy of baby ears obtained from three com cultlvars .Le., lield corn, sweet corn
aod true baby corn. Results revealed that field corn cultivar had the best ear characters,
followed by baby corn cuttivar. and then sweet corn at last. Suitable harvest dale to produce baby ears found to be at silking for both
field corn and sweet corn, and one and two days after siJking for true baby
corn . True baby corn produced the highest of number of baby ears per plant.
and subsequently the highest husked and unhusked marketable yield
followed by sweet corn, then field corn was the last. In the storability study, weight loss and decay percentage were increased
while, visual quality and chemical characters declined gradually as the
storage time progressed. Cultivars can be ranked as very good (field corn) to excellent (true baby
corn. and sweet corn" In terms of responding to storage conditi ns, where
they maIntained Quality well for two weeks when their baby ear stored at
cold temperature (5°C ), compared with storing at room temperature, which
resulted in unacceptable ears after only three days of storage.