Influence of Different Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizer Rates on Growth and Yield Components of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Abstract

A field study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different nitrogen and phosphorus (NP) fertilizer rates on the growth and yield performance of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with six treatments including a control (0, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 kg NP ha⁻¹). The results showed a significant and consistent increase in all growth and yield parameters with increasing NP levels. Plant height (104.35–181.94 cm), stem diameter (4.89–10.97 cm), capsules per plant (70.42–181.08), and seeds per capsule (19.12–44.63) increased progressively with higher fertilizer application. Similarly, seed weight per plant (21.46–51.58 g), seed index (2.69–4.26 g), and biological yield (3124.8–5225.4 kg ha⁻¹) also showed marked improvement across treatments. The maximum values for all studied traits were recorded at 70 kg NP ha⁻¹, while the minimum values were observed in the control treatment. Statistical analysis indicated highly significant differences among treatments (P ≤ 0.05) for all parameters. The study concludes that balanced application of nitrogen and phosphorus at higher levels (especially 70 kg NP ha⁻¹) significantly enhances sesame growth and yield performance under field conditions.