Quantifying Response of Sesame (Sesame indicum L.) to Dose and Time of Nitrogen Application Under Irrigated Condition

Aim: To determine the optimum dose and time of nitrogen application in sesame in YSR Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. Study Design: Split plot design. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Agronomy, Agricultural Research Station, Utukur, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, India and duration of study was three years (2020-21 to 2022-23). Methodology: The treatments included four levels of nitrogen as main plot viz., N1: 40, N2: 60, N3: 80 and N4: 100 kg/ha and time of nitrogen application viz., T1: 50 kg as basal and 50 kg at 30 DAS, T2: 25 kg as basal and 75 kg at 30 DAS, T3: 25 kg as basal, 37.5 kg at 20 and 37.5 kg at 40 DAS and T4: No basal, 50 kg at 20 and 50 kg at 40 DAS as sub plot, which were laid out in split plot design with three replications. Results: The results revealed that significantly the higher plant height at maturity, number of branches per plant, number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule and seed yield were recorded with application of 100 kg N/ha which was at par with 80 kg N/ha. However, the application of 100 kg N/ha nitrogen as 25 kg in basal, 37.5 kg at 20 and 37.5 kg at 40 DAS (T3) recorded higher plant height at maturity, number of branches per plant, number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule and seed yield and was at par with 50 kg as basal and 50 kg at 30 DAS (T1) in all three years of study. Whereas, test weight of sesame was not significantly influenced by levels of nitrogen and time of nitrogen application. Conclusion: Application of 80 kg N/ha could be considered as an optimum dose of nitrogen in contrast to the present recommended dose of 40 kg N/ha which has a yield advantage of 11.5 % over 100 % RDF.