Productivity of Sesame (<i>Sesamum indicum </i>L.) Varieties as Influenced by Poultry Manure Rates in the Northern Guinea Savanna, Nigeria

The experiment was conducted to study the productivity of sesame varieties as influenced by poultry manure rates during the 2020 dry season, two field trials were conducted one at the Institute for Agricultural Research farm Samaru in the Northern Guinea Savanna, and the other at Irrigation Research Station at Kadawa in the sudan savanna of Nigeria, treatments consists of four varieties of sesame (E-8, Yandev 55, NCRIBEN 04E, NCRIBEN 01M) and four rates of poultry manure (0, 4, 6, and 8 t ha-1) with NPK as control. Treatments were combined factorially using randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a split plot arrangement, the highest poultry manure rate 8t ha-1 produced the highest plant height, leaf area index, shoot dry matter, at 8 WAS and at 12 WAS in Samaru and Kadawa, At 12 WAS, the highest crop growth rate and highest number of branches was recorded with application of 8 t ha-1 poultry manure, also at 12 WAS, E-8 and Yandev 55 exhibited significantly the highest relative growth rate, the highest number of days of 50% flowering was recorded in 0 t ha-1 of poultry manure, Days to 50% flowering with application of 8 t ha-1 of poultry manure, and NPK were statistically at par. NCRIBEN 01M and NCRIBEN 04E produced plants with similar higher number of branches than the other varieties. NCRIBEN 04E had significantly taller plants at the highest poultry manure rate of 8t ha-1, the regression analysis showed seed yield against poultry manure levels in both locations were linear and positively significant. The result showed that poultry manure application at 8t ha-1 on NCRIBEN 04E produced significantly highest yield at both locations. Poultry manure and yield of the experiment was: 581 kg ha-1 for 8t ha-1 of poultry manure at Samaru and 611 kg ha-1 for 8t ha-1 of poultry manure at Kadawa. Based on the results in the present study, application of 8t ha-1 of poultry manure on NCRIBEN 04E variety could be suggested for the cultivation of Sesame in Samaru and Kadawa respectively. The highest seed yield (348.17 kg ha-1) was produced at Samaru compared to Kadawa (327.62 kg ha-1).