EFFECT OF FOLIAR APPLICATION OF MICRONUTRIENTS ON GROWTH, YIELD AND OIL QUALITY OF SESAME (sesamum indicum L.)

Abstract

A field experiment entitled “Effect of foliar application of micronutrients on growth, yield and oil quality of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)” was conducted during Kharif-1 2017 at central farm of SAU, Dhaka and chemical analysis were done in the laboratory of BARI, Gazipur. Sesame (Sesamum indicum.L) is one of the most valuable oilseed crops whose seeds are used as traditional health food, with high quality oil, protein and natural antioxidants. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with ten treatments and replicated thrice. The treatments were comprising of T 1 : control (no micronutrients), T 2 : B (100 ppm), T 3 : Zn (100 ppm), T 4 : Mo (50 ppm), T 5 : Cu (100 ppm), T 6 : Fe (100 ppm), T 7 : Mn (100 ppm), T 8 : Co (50 ppm), T 9 : (combination of above micronutrients) and T 10 : commercial mixture of micronutrients. Observations on plant height, number of branches, total dry matter, growth analysis parameters, chlorophyll content of leaf at various stages of crop, yield and yield attributes, oil content and N, P and K uptake by plant and plant parts were recorded. The results revealed that most of the putative morphological traits like plant height, number of branches, total dry matter of plant and plant parts increased with foliar application of different micronutrients but significantly the highest increase was found when micronutrients were applied in combination followed by individual application of Zn, B and Mo. Physiological growth parameters such as leaf area index, leaf area duration, relative growth ratio , net growth ratio , crop growth ratio and chlorophyll content of leaf increased significantly by foliar application of different micronutrients either in single or in combination. Seed yield in sesame increased significantly over control by foliar application of different micronutrients used in single or in their combination. In view of such beneficial effects of foliar application of micronutrients on sesame, it may be asserted that improvement in productivity of sesame can be achieved under a depleted soil condition through supplementary application of micronutrients viz. B, Zn, Mo, Cu, Fe, Mn, Co, either in single or their combination along with basal dose of N, P and K.