MSc

A microplot and a field trial were conducted at the Rice Research
Station, Kayamkulam in the summer rice fallows during 1996 -97 to
standardise the effective methanol dose and its time of application and to
evaluate the effects of the selected dose of methanol along with varying
levels of coirpith incorporation and seed hardening treatments on the
performance of sesame var. Kayamkulam-I in Onattukara tract. The two
experiments were laid out in completely randomised design and strip -
split plot design with two and three replications respectively. The first
experiment had treatments comprising of seven levels of methanol and
three times of application along with an absolute control. The treatments
in the second experiment included three levels each of coirpith and seed
hardening treatments and four levels of methanol.
The initial experiment revealed that the methanol application is well
accepted by the crop. The growth characters, physiological parameters and
yield attributing characters and crop duration were greatly enhanced by
application of methanol dosages ranging from 20 per cent to 30 per cent
concentration, during the flowering stage which is the most metabolically
active stage of the crop. Thus the concentrations, 20 and 30 per cent of
methanol at flowering stage was adopted in main field experiment.


In the main field, the crop responded to incorporation of coirpith,
seed hardening and methanol application. The biometric characters like
plant height, number of leaves and branches per plant, precarious
flowering, total DMP, shoot - root ratio, root characteristics and yield
attributing characters like number of capsules per plant, capsule yield
were significantly augmented by the incorporation of 10 t ha-1 of coirpith
soon after the harvest of second crop of rice. The above said parameters
provided the maximum value with 20 per cent methanol level and seed
hardening in water compared to other levels. These treatments enhanced
the vegetative growth of the plants and facilitated early 'commencement
of the reproductive phase thus enabling a significant reduction in crop
duration by 6-7 days.
The seed yield was remarkable when coirpith was incorporated at
the rate of 10 t ha-1 and 20 per cent methanol spray was given to foliage
at flower initiation period. The crop was favorably influenced by seed
hardening in water. The uptake of N, P and K by the crop also followed
improved.
The relative leaf water content was highly regulated by both the
coirpith levels (10 t ha-1 and 20 t ha-1) and seed hardening in water. The
spraying of 20 per cent solution of methanol also recorded high leaf
water content.
The bulk density and soil water content were found highly
depended on coil-pith levels. The application of both levels of coirpith



increased soil moisture content decreased the bulk density significantly.
The values of both the parameters registered comparable effect of these
levels.
The biochemical analysis high proline content with treatments
comprising of no coirpith. Seed hardening in water indicated high proline
accumulation in plant tissues. The seed hardening in water also resulted
in high content of chlorophyll in leaves.
The organic carbon content of soil was greatly augmented by
coirpith application, but both the levels gave comparable values. The
available N, P and K contents of the soil after the experiment indicated
higher nutrient status with addition of organic amendments to the soil.
The outcome of economic analysis revealed that the net returns
and benefit-cost ratio was maximum by incorporation of coipith at the rate
of 10 t ha-1, seed hardening in water and providing foliar spray of 20 per
cent methanol at flowering stage.