| Introduction: |
|
Sesamum
(Sesame indicum) is an important oilseed crop. Its oil content varies
between 46 and 52%. Sesamum oil is used for cooking, for anointing the body, in the
manufacture of perfumes. It also has medicinal value. Its oil cake is nutritious food for
milch cattle. |
Requirement |
|
Sesamum grows in the plains an at
elevations up to 1,200m. It cannot stand frost, continued heavy rain or prolonged drought.
They are grown on a variety of soils
ranging from light to heavy and sandy to black soils provided they are well drained. Sandy
loams with adequate soil moisture and neutral in reaction are more suitable. The pH of
sesamum growing soils ranges from 5.5 to 8.5. |
Varieties |
|
Rajeshwari, Swetha-til,
Gowri, Madhavi and YLM. |
| Land preparation and sowing |
|
About 2 ploughing are
necessary to obtain fine tilth. This is followed by harrowing and levelling. The crop
should be sown in lines. A spacing of 30cm should be maintained between rows and 15cm
between plants. Seed should be mixed with sand in 1:3 ratio. The Seed-rate varies from
3-5kg per hectare. Seeds must be treated with captan or thiram at 3 g/kg of seed. |
| Manuring and Fertilizer |
|
For
obtaining high yields, application of 2.5-5 tonnes of farm yard manure per hectare and
fertilizers of 40kg N. 60kg P2O5 and 40kg K20 per ha
during kharif and 60kg N. 60kg P2O5 and 40kg K20 in rabi
season is recommended. Apply half of the nitrogen and entire P and K as basal dressing and
remaining half of the nitrogen at 25-30 days after sowing as top dressing. |
Intercultural operation |
|
The hand-weedings
followed by one hoeing during early crop period should be done to keep the crop free from
weeds. Thinning must be done 14 days after germination. In case of irrigated crop, give
the first irrigation after sowing and second 25-30 days after sowing when the plants are
15cm tall. It is essential to irrigated the crop during flowering and capsule formation
stage. |
| Irrigation |
|
It
requires only light irrigations as water logged areas affect germination. In case of
irrigated crop, give the first irrigation after sowing and second 25-30 days after sowing
when the plants are 15cm tall. It is essential to irrigate the crop during flowering and
capsule formation stage. |
|
Plant
protection |
|
Insect pests Leaf-roller and pod-borer |
|
It
feed on the leaves and take shelter inside webs. |
|
|
|
Spraying
endosulphon (35%, 2 ml/litre of water) is recommended to control this pest. |
|
Gall-fly |
|
The
larvae of gall-fly eat the floral parts and affect seed setting. |
|
|
|
Dusting
of 10% carbaryl at 12 kg/ha or spraying endosulphon or ekalux (2ml/litre) helps in
controlling the pest. |
|
Disease |
|
Leaf spots |
|
Leaf
spots appear at all stages of the crop. |
|
|
|
Using
resistant varieties and seed treatment with thiram at 3 g/kg seed are the best ways to
avoid the disease. Spray mancozeb (dithane M-45) 2g/litre of water to contain the disease. |
|
Phytophthora blight |
|
Small
water soaked irregular brown spots appear on the leaves which dry up and wither. Capsules
of heavily affected plants do not produce seeds. |
|
|
|
It
can be controlled by spraying 0.3% blitox for its control. |
|
Root/stem rot |
|
The
rot and collar regions of the stem become brown. Gradually the whole Plant turns brown. |
|
|
|
Avoid
monocropping, spraying carbendizm (bavistin) 1g or mancozeb at 2 g per litre of water will
help to control the disease. |
|
Powdery mildew |
|
Under
moist and cool conditions, the disease develops fast covering the leaves with mycelium.
The plant is defoliated before maturity. |
|
|
|
Spraying
0.2% wettable sulphur controls the disease. |
|
Harvesting and yield |
|
The
crop is harvested when the leaves, stems and capsule begin to turn yellow and the lower
leaves start shedding. To prevent the shedding of grains, the crop should not be allowed
to become dead ripe in the field. The average grain yield of the kharif crop grown unmixed
is 200-500 kg per hectare and the average yields of the semi-rabi crop and of the
irrigated summer crop are 300-600 kg per hectare. |
