Effect of different sulphur sources and application rates on growth and yield of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Sesame requires adequate sulphur for proper growth, seed development and oil production, but its response varies with the sulphur source and application level under different soil conditions. Hence, identifying a suitable sulphur source and application rate is important for improving the growth, yield and productivity of sesame in sandy clay loam soil. In view of this context, a field experiment was carried out to study the application of different sulphur sources and application levels on growth and yield attributes of sesame variety TVM in 2026 at School of Agricultural Sciences, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan University, Trichy, Tamil Nadu. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design (RBD) with nine treatments and three replications. The recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), comprising 35 kg N, 23 kg P₂O₅ and 23 kg K₂O/ha was applied uniformly across all treatments. Four sulphur sources, namely gypsum, ammonium sulphate, potassium sulphate and elemental sulphur, were evaluated at two application rates of 40 and 45 kg S/ha. RDF only treatment was maintained as the control for comparison. The maximum growth attributes viz., plant height (405.6 cm), number of leaves per plant (42.35), leaf area index (4.16) and dry matter production (27.21 g/plant) and yield attributes viz., Number of capsules per plant (71.10), number of seeds per capsule (63.50), test weight (2.44 g), grain yield (753 kg/ha stalk yield (1810 kg/ha) and BCR (1.16) were recorded with application of 100% RDF + 45 kg of sulphur through ammonium sulphate (T7). The minimum value in all the parameters was observed in 100% RDF alone (control).