Efficacy of botanicals and biofertilizers in sesame seed treatment

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) an ancient and third main oilseed crop after Groundnut (Arachis hypogeae L.) and Rape seed (Brassica campestris L.) grown in India. It occupies an area of 24.37 million hectares and total production of 208.71 million tonnes with productivity of 856 kg ha-1. In any crop, seed is the basic input in agriculture and its supply of to the farmers is essential to attain self-sufficiency. Seed pelleting is the easier and a common technique followed in direct sown crops as it needs initial vigour for relentless crop growth and development. Pelleting provide a medium to construct package of materials which will help to influence micro environment of each seed by supplying nutrients from the earlier stages of the crop. This study was aimed to ascertain the outcome of seed pelleting on different sesame varieties and their yield attributes and yield. Usually seeds vary in size, shape and colour, which leads to difficulty in precision seeding and uniform plant spacing. Physical seed enhancement techniques like seed pelleting results in more rapid and synchronous germination across seedbed environment particularly when their seed size is very small. The bio-fertilizers stimulate the growth and there by increased the survival rate of planted seedling. The hike in germination of seeds pelleted with bio-fertilizers might be due to the increased cytokinin production which actively involved in cell division. Pelleting can indirectly improve seed germination and stand establishment, while nutrient pelleting enrich the rhizosphere region with macro and micro nutrient triggering the vegetative growth of seedling as well to the improvement in zone specific microbial activity. From the present study it is revealed that seed pelleted with Neem leaf powder 760 g + Azospirillum 120 g + Phosphobacteria 120 g + 10% Maida gruel registered maximum plant height of 126.7 cm, No. of capsules (58.5), No. of Seeds per capsule (58.5) and seed yield of 530 kg/ha compared to control (Plant height (112.6 cm), No. of capsules (51.3), No. of Seeds per capsule (51.3) and seed yield of 375 kg/ha.