Seed Yield and Oil Content of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Genotypes in Response to Different Methods of Nitrogen Application

A field study to evaluate the impact of nitrogen application methods on the growth and yield performance of sesame varieties was carried out at Students’ Experimental Farm, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam during summer 2013. The experiment was laid out in a three replicated randomized complete block design with factorial arrangements. The treatments comprised of three nitrogen application methods (Broadcasting @ 100 kg N ha^-1, Foliar application @ 1% N+Broadcasting: 50 kg N ha^-1 and Fertigation @ 100 kg N ha^-1) and three sesame varieties (S-17, PR-122 and PR-509). The statistical analysis of data showed that  effect of various nitrogen application methods on the growth, seed yield and oil content of sesame varieties was significant (P<0.05). The foliar application of 1% N in combination with broadcasting: 50 kg N ha^-1 showed superiority in performance over rest of the methods in all growth and yield traits particularly seed yield (719.9 kg ha^-1). The sesame plots given nitrogen through fertigation ranked 2^nd in agronomic performance specifically seed yield (533.4 kg ha^-1). The application of nitrogen through broadcasting alone resulted in least growth and yield parameters, particularly seed yield (709.4 kg ha^-1). Among sesame varieties, S-17 showed its superiority for all the growth and yield traits of sesame in particular seed yield (646.7 kg ha^-1), followed by variety PR-509 with 544.7 kg ha^-1 seed yield. However, minimum growth and yield performance was noted in PR-122 which produced 536.3 kg ha^-1 seed yield. As regards, interactive effects, maximum (810.3 kg ha^-1) seed yield of sesame was recorded in the interaction of foliar application @ 1% N+ broadcasting x variety S-17. Hence, it is concluded from the results that 1% foliar application of nitrogen in combination with 50% reduced of N through broadcasting method was found most appropriate for obtaining optimum yield of sesame varieties under agro-ecological conditions of Tandojam, Pakistan