A field experiment with five fertilizer treatments and four replicates was conducted from June to September 1988 to investigate the effect of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) on the growth, dry matter production, and yield of sweet corn, and the amounts of sugar and amino acids in the kernel. Plant height, number of leaf per plant, stem diameter, leaf area, leaf area index (LAI) and yield were significantly effected by the rate of fertilizer application. A positive correlation between yield and LAI and the chlorophyll content in the ear leaf was found. Low N decreased the yield, but increased total sugar content in kernel. The maximum rate of nutrient uptake was detected at tasselling stage, suggesting that from tassel initiation to tasselling is the critical period for fertilizer management. High rates of N application reduced soluble sugars and increased the lysine content in the kernel. Our results indicate that changes in lysine content induced by fertilizer rate were much diverse than that in soluble sugar in the kernel of sweet corn.