Effect of Boron and Bio-fertilizers on Growth and Yield of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2021 at Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, SHUATS, Prayagraj (U.P). The experimental soil used in this experiment was sandy loam in texture, nearly neutral in soil reaction (pH 7.1), low in organic carbon (0.36 %), available N (171.48 kg/ha), available P (15.2 kg/ha) and available K (232.5 kg/ha). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with ten treatments each replicated three times on the basis of one year experimentation. The treatments which were Control (RDF), 2.5 kg B/ha + PSB, 2.5 kg B/ha + Azotobacter, 2.5 kg B/ha + PSB + Azotobacter, 5.0 kg B/ha + PSB, 5.0 kg B/ha + Azotobacter, 5.0 kg B/ha + PSB + Azotobacter, 7.5 kg B/ha + PSB, 7.5 kg B/ha + Azotobacter and 7.5 kg B/ha + PSB + Azotobacter are used. The results showed that application of 7.5 kg B/ha + PSB + Azotobacter showed significantly higher plant height (85.36 cm), No. of Branches/plant (6.57), Plant dry weight (19.53 g/plant), Crop growth rate (20.89 g/m2/day), capsules/plant (52.57), Seeds/capsule (62.60), Test weight (3.38 g), Seed yield (1.1635 t/ha), Stover yield (3.3819 t/ha), Biological yield (4.5556 t/ha), gross returns (Rs.79723.65/ha), net return (Rs.52849.25/ha) and benefit cost ratio (1.96) as compared to other treatments. Therefore, treatment with application of 7.5 B/ha along with  PSB 10 g/kg seeds and Azotobacter 10 g/kg seeds was more productive and can be recommended to farmers after further trials.