Effect of novel organic manures and foliar nutrition on growth and yield of summer sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Introduction

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), commonly known as Til, is considered the "queen of oilseeds". It is among the oldest oilseed crops that have been cultivated by mankind for a long time. It belongs to the Pedaliaceae family and grows in diverse types of agro-climatic regions starting from semiarid to tropical, subtropical and temperate climatic zones. Sesame seeds are rich in oil content ranging from 46-52% along with 18-20% protein content and hence, considered a nutritionally and industrially important crop (Doifode et al., 2025) [7] . Sesame cake, which is the residue left after oil extraction, is also rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals with an estimated N, P and K content of 6.0-6.2%, 2.0-2.2% and 1.0-1.2% respectively, thus making it useful as organic manure (Agnihotri et al., 2023) [1] . The presence of sesamol and sesamin contributes to the stability and quality of sesame oil and enhances its food, medicinal and industrial importance (Poveda et al., 2016) [11] . In India, sesame was cultivated over 15.76 lakh ha with a production of 8.93 lakh tonnes and productivity of 567 kg ha -1 during 2024-25. Telangana accounted for 0.13 lakh ha with a production of 0.08 lakh tonnes and productivity of 636 kg ha -1 (Indiastat, 2024-25) [16] . In Telangana, sesame cultivation is concentrated mainly in the northern districts such as Adilabad, Jagtial, Karimnagar and Nizamabad, where it is grown during both kharif and summer seasons, often after rice, turmeric and cotton. Integrating organic and inorganic sources like manures, chemical fertilizers, and foliar application can enhance nutrient availability and increase productivity. The vermicompost provides nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium and also humus and growth promoting substances. The use of vermicompost may enhance growth and productivity through nutrient availability and biological activities in the soil (Arancon et al., 2006; Atiyeh et al., 2000) [3, 4] . Black soldier fly larval frass is a novel organic manure obtained through insect-mediated recycling of organic wastes. It is rich in N, P, K, chitin and microorganisms and provides a relatively slow release of nutrients. Beesigamukama et al. (2020) [5] reported yield improvement through BSF frass application, while Lomonaco et al. (2024) [9] highlighted its beneficial effects on soil microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity and nitrogen concentration. Tanga et al. (2022) [15] also reported the potential of composted BSF frass for improving crop productivity. The foliar application technique delivers nutrients to plant parts and can help to augment soil applied nutrients when crops need them most. Nano fertilizers aid in the controlled release of nutrients, while foliar nutrition helps to enhance photosynthesis and increase nutrient availability. Agnihotri et al. (2023) [1] found that nano-fertilizers were able to boost sesame growth, whereas Singh et al. (2025) [13] found that nano urea foliar application was beneficial for crop growth and production. Although organic manures and foliar nutrition have considerable promise, the use of novel organic manures such as BSF larval frass in sesame has received limited attention. Information on the combined use of organic nutrient sources with foliar application of nano-fertilizers and urea in summer sesame is also limited. Hence, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of BSF frass, vermicompost and foliar nutrition on the growth, yield attributes and yield of summer sesame. This research aims to contribute towards the development of sustainable nutrient management practices for improving summer sesame productivity.

Materials and Methods

The present field experiment was carried out during the summer of 2026, located at the college farm, Agricultural College, Jagtial, which is geographically situated at 18 0 84' N latitude and 78 0 94' E longitude and at an altitude of 243.4 m above mean sea level (MSL) in the Northern Telangana Zone. The soil was sandy loam, slightly alkaline (pH 7.34), non-saline (EC 0.45 dS m -1 ), low in organic carbon (0.31%) and available nitrogen (176.4 kg ha -1 ), medium in phosphorus (21.7 kg ha -1 ) and potassium (190.3 kg ha - 1 ). The treatments includes T 1: 100% RDN (80 kg N ha -1 ), T 2: 75% RDN + 25% N through BSF frass, T 3: 75% RDN + 25% N through vermicompost, T 4: 100% RDN + 1 foliar spray of Nano urea plus (20% N) @ 4 ml l -1 at flowering stage, T 5: 75% RDN + 25% N through BSF frass + 1 foliar spray of Nano urea plus (20% N) @ 4 ml l -1 at flowering stage, T 6: 75% RDN + 25% N through Vermicompost + 1 foliar spray of Nano urea plus (20% N) @ 4 ml l -1 at flowering stage, T 7: 100% RDN + 1 foliar spray of 2% Urea at flowering stage, T 8: 75% RDN + 25% N through BSF frass + 1 foliar spray of 2% Urea at flowering stage, T 9: 75% RDN + 25% N through Vermicompost + 1 foliar spray of 2% Urea at flowering stage and T 10: Control (0:20:20 N: P 2 O 5: K 2 O kg ha -1 ). The summer sesamum Jagtial Til-1 (JCS 1020) was raised in plots of 4.5 m x 4.5 m (20.25 m 2 ) at a spacing of 30 cm x 15 cm with a net area of 3.9 m x 4.2 m (16.38 m²). The crop is maintained by following proper agronomic practices and the irrigation schedule was based on the requirements of the crop. Weeds were removed manually from the experimental plots to keep them weed free.

The BSF Frass and vermicompost were added 15 days prior to planting and thoroughly incorporated into the soil to ensure proper nutrient release. Fertilizers were supplied as per the designations of the treatment plans. In the case of treatments with BSF Frass and Vermicompost (T 2 , T 3 , T 5 , T 6 , T 8 , T 9 ), the quantity of manure to be supplied was calculated keeping in mind the nitrogen content of the manure in order to meet the requirements of the crop. Also, the supply of phosphorus and potassium from the manure was kept in consideration and the remaining was supplemented with SSP and MOP. In treatments T 1 toT 9 , the chemical nitrogen was provided in the form of urea at two equal dosages, first at the time of sowing and second at 30 days after sowing. Foliar sprays of nano urea plus and 2% urea were done at flowering in respective treatments and the control treatment received no nitrogen and was maintained with 20 kg P₂O₅ and 20 kg K₂O ha -1 .

Field observations for growth and yield characteristics were made on the randomly selected plants tagged for the experiment. Growth characteristics like plant height, leaf area, and dry matter accumulation were noted at different growth stages. At harvest, observations were made on the number of capsules plant -1 , number of seeds capsule -1 and test weight. Seed yield and stover yield were also noted from the net plot area expressed in kilograms hectare -1 . The data collected in the experiment were statistically analyzed based on Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) suitable for Randomized Block Design (RBD), following the method suggested by Panse and Sukhatme (1978). The significance of the treatment effect was assessed through F-test at a 5% probability level. Critical Difference (CD) was determined for significant differences and NS was taken for non-significant differences.

Results and Discussion

Growth Parameters

The effect of organic manures and foliar sprays on the growth of summer sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is detailed in Table 2. Application of 75% RDN + 25% N through vermicompost + 2% urea spray (T 9 ) recorded the highest plant height (116 cm), leaf area (340 cm² plant -1 ) and dry matter production (347 g m -2 ) at harvest, which was statistically at par with T 6 (112 cm, 328 cm² plant -1 and 339 g m⁻²) and T 8 (107 cm, 303 cm² plant -1 and 314 g m -2 ), respectively. The better growth could be due to continuous availability of nutrients through vermicompost and additional foliar N, which would have improved cell division and elongation, leaf expansion, photosynthesis and dry matter production. Similar findings were reported by Shathi et al. (2023) [12] , Kranthikumar et al. (2025) [8] and Ahirwar et al. (2017) [2] .

Yield attributes and yield

Effect of organic manures and foliar sprays on yield attributes and yield of summer sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is described in Table 3 and Table 4. 75% RDN + 25% N through vermicompost + 2% urea spray at flowering (T 9 ) showed the highest value for number of capsules plant -1 (59.7), number of seeds capsule -1 (66), seed yield (1170 kg ha -1 ) and stover yield (2200 kg ha -1 ), which was statistically on par with T 6 (57.9 capsules plant -1 , 64.4 seeds capsule -1 , 1130 kg ha -1 seed yield and 2157 kg ha -1 stover yield) and T 8 (54.9 capsules plant -1 , 61.6 seeds capsule -1 , 1045 kg ha -1 seed yield and 1994 kg ha -1 stover yield), respectively. Test weight and harvest index were not significantly affected by any treatment. However, T 9 showed the highest numerical value for test weight (2.85 g) and harvest index (34.7%). The higher yield and yield attributes observed under T 9 could be due to sustained nutrient availability through vermicompost and easily available N through foliar urea, which helped in reproductive development and biomass accumulation. Similar results were also observed by Bhardwaj et al. (2025) [6] , Shathi et al. (2023) [12] , Sujatha et al.

(2019) [14] and Mahajan et al. (2016) [10] .

Conclusion

Organic manures such as BSF larval frass and vermicompost were studied in conjunction with foliar nutrition with respect to their influence on the growth and yield of summer sesame. It was observed that the application of 75% RDN and 25% N using vermicompost in addition to 2% urea spray on leaves resulted in significant improvement in all growth parameters, yield characters and yield. Thus, it can be concluded that the replacement of 25% nitrogen with vermicompost along with foliar nutrition is an effective technique for nutrient management and increasing yield in sesame cultivation. It also reduces dependence on synthetic fertilizers, contributing to sustainable and eco-friendly agriculture.

References

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