INFLUENCE OF INTEGRATED APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS AND NANO FERTILIZERS ON GROWTH AND SEED YIELD OF SESAME (SESAMUM INDICUM L)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during Kharif 2025–26 at the Research Farm, Project Coordinating Unit (Sesame and Niger), College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. The experiment was designed to assess whether partial substitution of conventional fertilizers with nano fertilizers could sustain or improve crop growth and seed yield while reducing the requirement for soil-applied nutrients in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). The study focused on crop growth, yield attributes, seed yield, oil content and economic returns. Nutrient management significantly influenced growth and productivity. The experiment comprised of fourteen treatments involving application of different levels and schedules of recommended doses of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, their reduced doses, foliar application of nano urea, nano DAP and potassium chloride, and an absolute control. The recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) was 60:40:20 kg N:P₂O5: K₂O ha⁻¹. Nitrogen was applied either as basal and top-dressed as split applications at different crop growth stages. Nano fertilizers were applied as foliar sprays at 30 and 50 days after sowing (DAS) as per treatments in a Randomized Block Design with three replications using variety RT-372. The results revealed that treatment T13, comprising 125% RDF (75:50:25 kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O ha⁻¹) with 50% N as basal and the remaining N in two equal splits at 30 and 50 DAS, recorded the highest plant height at harvest (111.89 cm), branches plant⁻¹ (4.15), leaf area at 60 DAS (565.83 cm² plant⁻¹), LAI at 60 DAS (1.41), seed yield (758 kg ha⁻¹), oil content (46.60%) and oil yield (353.18 kg ha⁻¹). T13 also produced the highest gross monetary return (₹94,750 ha⁻¹), net monetary return (₹42,163 ha⁻¹) and B:C ratio (1.80) which was on par with treatment T3 & T12 involving RDF and reduced doses of nitrogen application in three equal splits. The findings proved that balanced fertilizer application with appropriate split application of nitrogen improved sesame growth, yield, oil productivity and economic efficiency under the conditions of the experiment and can help in saving of nutrients. Application of nano fertilizers though improve the crop yield, however could not attain the level of significance as compared to recommended doses of fertilizers and higher doses of 125% RDF.