Effects of different bio-organic fertilizers on agronomic traits, yield, and dry matter accumulation of fresh-eating corn in arid and saline soils of Xinjiang: a single-site field experiment.

Fresh-eating corn is an important economic crop in Xinjiang, while its yield and quality are severely limited by drought, soil salinization and low soil fertility. Applying bio-organic fertilizers can effectively mitigate abiotic stress and improve crop growth performance, yet suitable fertilizer types for the main cultivar Wannuo 2000 remain unclear in arid and salinized regions. A two-year consecutive field experiment was conducted from 2024 to 2025. Combined with field meteorological data, short-term low sunlight stress in late June 2024 significantly affected crop growth and interannual growth stability. On the basis of growth indices and yield traits, two kinds of membership function evaluation methods were adopted to comprehensively assess fertilizer application effects. The results showed that different functional bio-organic fertilizers had distinct regulatory effects on agronomic traits, ear development, dry matter accumulation and yield formation. Among all treatments, Tianwu Jintaiyang bio-organic fertilizer exhibited the best comprehensive performance with high yield and strong environmental adaptability. Correlation analysis indicated that ear grain weight, husked ear weight and kernel number per row were key positive factors for yield improvement, whereas bald tip length and barren stalk rate were the main limiting factors. This study clarifies the differentiated regulation effects and regional adaptability of various bio-organic fertilizers, and provides theoretical basis and technical guidance for rational fertilization and green stable high-yield cultivation of fresh-eating corn in arid salinized farmlands of Xinjiang.