Influence of irrigation on germination, growth and yield of sesamum

Abstract

A field study was undertaken at the Rice Research Station, Kayamkulam, during the third crop season of 1983-84 to find out the influence of irrigation on germination, growth and yield of sesamum, with eleven main plot treatments as time of sowing and three sub plot treatments as frequency of irrigation. There were 33 different treatment combinations. The study revealed that the optimum soil moisture for maximum germination of sesamum seed is 12.72 per cent. Moisture contents above or below this adversely affect the germination percentage. Optimum soil moisture for germination could be achieved by irrigating the plots to field capacity and sowing one day after the irrigation. Pry matter production, number of seeds per capsule, distribution of dry matter in capsule, seed yield, oil content, oil yield and shelling percentage were highest in the treatment where sowing was done one day after the initial irrigation. Maximum uptake of N, P and K was also observed in this treatment. One irrigation at the vegetative phase or two irrigations one at the vegetative and the other at the reproductive stages have favourably influenced the growth characters like plant height, number of leaves, number of branches and nodes, leaf area, dry matter production, . number of capsules per plant, capsule weight per plant, number of seeds per capsule, seed weight per plant and seed yield per ha. The oil content, oil yield and the uptake of N, P and K were also maximum in the above Irrigation treatments. The study revealed that irrigating the plot to field capacity and sowing the seeds one day after irrigation has resulted in obtaining maximum germination and optimum plant density. Similarly irrigation during the growth phases have also increased the seed yield. Maximum seed yield of 859 kg/ha. was produced by sowing the seeds one day after Initial irrigation followed by giving one irrigation each during the vegetative and reproductive phases.