Comparative Efficacy of Seed Treatments for Growth and Yield Parameters of Sesame (Sesamum indicum) Cultivars TMV 3 and VRI 5

Abstract

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an important oilseed crop, however, its productivity is often constrained by poor seed vigor and uneven field establishment. Seed priming is an effective pre-sowing technique to enhance germination, crop establishment and yield performance. The present study was conducted to evaluate the comparative efficacy of different seed priming treatments on growth, flowering and yield attributes of sesame cultivars TMV 3 and VRI 5 under field conditions. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with ten treatments, including hydropriming, hormonal priming (indole acetic acid and gibberellic acid), biopriming (Trichoderma viride and Bacillus subtilis), organic priming (neem and pungam leaf powders), chemical treatments and an unprimed control. Seeds were primed for the prescribed duration and sown following recommended agronomic practices. Observations were recorded on growth parameters, flowering behavior, yield attributes and seed yield, and the data were statistically analyzed. The results revealed that seed biopriming with Trichoderma viride @ 8 g kg⁻¹ of seed significantly improved plant height, reduced days to 50% flowering, increased number of branches and nodes per plant, enhanced capsule number, seeds per capsule, 1000-seed weight and seed yield per plant in both cultivars compared to other treatments and the control. Overall, the study demonstrates that Trichoderma viride based on biopriming is an effective, eco-friendly and cost-efficient seed enhancement strategy for improving growth and yield of sesame and it can be recommended for sustainable sesame cultivation.