Effect of Plant Geometry and Nutrient Management Practices on Yield and Nutrient uptake of Rainfed Sesame (Sesamum Indicum L.) under Vertisol Condition

Field experiment was conducted at black soil farm, Agricultural research station, Kovilpatti. The sesamum variety SVPR 1 was sown during rabi season (October – January) to find out suitable plant geometry, levels of fertilizers and foliar spray of mepiquat chloride at 30 DAS, MnSO 4 and DAP at flower initiation and capsule formation stage for maximize the yield. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design and three replications. The trial consists of twelve treatments in combination of plant spacing, nutrient levels and foliar nutrition. The results revealed that, rainfed sesame sown with closer plant spacing of 30 × 20 cm coupled with 125 per cent RDF followed by foliar spray of 125 ppm mepiquat chloride at 30 DAS + 0.5 % MnSO 4 & 2 % DAP at FIS & CF significantly improved the components viz., economic yield and nutrient uptake. This contributed in producing significantly higher uptake of nutrients (34.0, 5.90 & 26.0 kg NPK ha-1), seed (706 kg ha-1) and stalk yield (1799 kg ha-1) over recommended practice of 30 × 30 cm spacing + 100 % RDF alone.