Effect of Mulching and Pre-Sowing Seed Treatment with Agro Chemicals on the Growth and Yield of Summer Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Under Limited Water Resources

摘要

Moisture stress is a limiting factor to achieve potential yield of summer sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) under limited water resources and mulching is one of the suitable measures to mitigate the problem. Further, pre-sowing soaking of seeds with chemicals can facilitate growth, physiological and metabolic activities and thus enhance crop productivity. An experiment was conducted at Bagusala Farm of MS Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi (23deg39min N latitude, 87deg42min E longitude) during summer season of 2018 to study the effect of mulching and pre-sowing seed treatment with agro chemicals on growth and productivity of summer sesame. The experimental soil was sandy loam in texture with a pH of 6.1, 0.73% organic carbon and 230, 32.1 and 346 kg ha~(-1) of available N, P and K, respectively. The experiment was laid out in Split Plot Design (SPD), with two factors, namely, mulching (main plot) and seed soaking with agro-chemicals (sub-plot). In main plot three treatments of mulching were taken, namely, M_0, no mulching, M_1, paddy straw mulching and M_2, plastic mulching, however, four seed soaking treatments, viz., P_1, water soaked, P_2, 200 ppm potassium chloride (KCL), P_3, 400 ppmpotassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH_2PO_4) and P_4, 400 ppm disodium hydrogen phosphate (Na_2HPO_4) were considered in sub-plot. Thus 12 treatments combinations were replicated thrice in 4m × 3m plots. Sesame variety ‘Gauri’ performed well with plastic mulching as it recorded significantly better growth and higher yield than paddy straw mulching and no mulching. Among seed soaking treatments, it was noted that pre-sowing seed soaking with either of 400 ppm of Na_2HPO_4 or 400 ppm of KH_2PO_4 exhibited superiority to other treatments to obtain higher productivity. Moreover, plastic mulching and seed soaking with either of Na_2HPO_4 or KH_2PO_4 combination resulted in higher net return and benefit: cost ratio.