RESPONSE OF SESAME (Sesamum indicum L.) TO MOISTURE CONSERVATION PRACTICES AND FOLIAR ZINC AND BORON NUTRITION UNDER SEMI-ARID CONDITION
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Moisture deficiency is one of the major constraints limiting sesame productivity in semi-arid regions, as it adversely affects crop growth, physiological processes and yield development. Adoption of suitable moisture conservation measures along with balanced micronutrient nutrition can enhance physiological efficiency and crop productivity under rainfed conditions. Keeping this in view, a field experiment was conducted during the Kharif seasons of 2023 and 2024 at Agronomy Farm, S.K.N. College of Agriculture, Jobner, Rajasthan. The study was conducted in a split-plot design comprising seven moisture conservation practices, namely control, dust mulch, hydrogel @ 5.0 kg/ha, crop residue @ 2.5 t/ha, crop residue @ 5.0 t/ha, hydrogel @ 5.0 kg/ha + crop residue @ 2.5 t/ha and hydrogel @ 5.0 kg/ha + crop residue @ 5.0 t/ha in the main plots and four foliar nutrition treatments, viz., control, ZnSO₄ @ 0.5%, boric acid @ 0.2% and ZnSO₄ @ 0.5% + boric acid @ 0.2% in the sub-plots. The pooled results of two years indicated that both moisture conservation practices and foliar nutrition significantly affected the physiological behaviour of sesame. The application of crop residue @ 5.0 t/ha produced the higher plant height (122.43 cm), chlorophyll content (3.72 mg/g), leaf area index (3.226) and capsules per plant (28.30), which ultimately resulted in the higher seed yield (880 kg/ha) while found at par with hydrogel @ 5.0 kg/ha + crop residue @ 2.5 t/ha and hydrogel @ 5.0 kg/ha + crop residue @ 5.0 t/ha. Among the foliar nutrition treatments, the combined spray of ZnSO₄ @ 0.5% and boric acid @ 0.2% significantly improved plant height, chlorophyll content, leaf area index and capsules per plant compared with the control and individual micronutrient applications. The same treatment also recorded the maximum seed yield (872 kg/ha). The improvement in physiological performance under integrated moisture conservation and micronutrient management was mainly associated with better soil moisture retention, enhanced photosynthetic act
Source: PLANT ARCHIVES
Institution: Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jobner
Language: English
Topic: Sesame and Sesamin Research
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDGs: Zero hunger, Life on land
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7204171914