Seed encapsulation and supplemental nutrition for enhancing the productivity of summer sesame [Sesamum indicum L.]

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), of the Pedaliaceae family, is one of the traditionally grown oilseed crop. There are certain limitations in the crop field establishment due to the small seed size with poor germination rate. Hence, to address the limitations field experiments were carried out to study the effect of seed encapsulation and supplemental nutrition for enhancing the productivity of summer sesame during two consecutive years summer of 2019 and the Summer of 2020. The treatment involves seed encapsulation as the main factor and six foliar nutrition as a subfactor. Field experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized block design replicated thrice. The pooled data from two consecutive years shows that seed encapsulation with organics recorded a yield increase of 5 % higher yield to the non-pelleted seed. Among the foliar spray, combined nutrient spray (1.5%) followed by19:19:19 NPK @ 1 % recorded higher values in plant height (120.9 cm), number of branches/plant (7.4), number of capsules/plant (135.5), number seeds/capsule (72.9) and seed yield (900 kg/ha). Thereby, the pelleted seed enabled better crop establishment and supplemental foliar nutrition facilitated higher sesame seed yield.