Growth and Yield Response of Sesame to Different Nitrogen Levels

Abstract

Sesame, a traditional oilseed crop with a long history, has been cultivated and utilized by people in Pakistan for centuries. In the year 2018, a total of 29,000 tons of sesame seeds were harvested from an extensive area of 176,000 acres in Pakistan. According to the Federal Bureau of Statistics for the year 2018-19, Pakistan exported sesame seeds worth Rs. 9,000 million, which amounted to a staggering 366 million tons (AARI 2018-19). Nitrogen (N) is an element that is prominently included in the metabolic system of plants. Protein is involved in all of the activities that are necessary for the survival of plants, and an important component of protein is nitrogen. During Kharif season 2022 to study the expansion and yield reaction of Sesame to various nitrogen concentrations. The treatments included T₁ = Control (Zero N), T₂ = Recommended dose N @60 kg ha-1, T₃ = 10% higher than recommended N and T₄ = 10% less than recommended N. The field experiment was carried out to assess during June 2022–2023. at the experimental students farm department of Agronomy at Sindh Agricultural University, Tandojam. The experiment was set up using a Randomized Complete Block Design with a plot size of 3 x 4 12 m². The sesame crop fertilized with treated with T₄ = 10% less than recommended N resulted 158.57 cm plant height, 8.00 branches plant^-1, 151.04 capsules plant^-1, 33.35 number of seeds capsule^-1, 3.61 g seed index (1000-grain weight), 41.26 g seed yield plant^-1 and 761.08 kg ha^-1 seed yield. Similarly, T₃ = 10% higher than recommended N resulted 132.63 cm plant height, 6.47 branches plant^-1, 145.45 capsules plant^-1, 30.34 number of seeds capsule^-1, 3.31 g seed index (1000-grain weight), 36.35 g seed yield plant^-1 and 712.45 kg ha^-1 seed yield. However, recommended dose of N 117.82 cm plant height, 5.57 branches plant^-1, 121.88 capsules plant^-1, 23.28 numbers of seeds capsule^-1, 3.14 g seed index (1000-grain weight), 32.07 g seed yield plant^-1 and 540.46 kg ha^-1 seed yield. The sesame crop under control (Zero N) with 91.12 cm plant height, 4.34 branches plant^-1, 41.30 capsules plant^-1, 17.02 number of seeds capsule^-1, 2.78 g seed index (1000-grain weight), 21.02 g seed yield plant^-1 and 363.75 kg ha^-1 seed yield. Based on the findings of the current research, it was determined that as the nitrogen levels increased, both the growth and yield of sesame showed a simultaneous increase. Notably, the sesame plants that were fertilized with T4, which was 10% less nitrogen than the recommended amount, resulted in the highest grain yield (761.08 kg ha^-1), followed by T₃ = N @ 50 kg ha^-1 (712.45 kg ha^-1) and T₃ = N @ 45 kg ha-1 (10 % less than recommended N) (540.46 kg ha^-1).