Effect of different varieties and spacings on growth and yield of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Introduction

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the oldest cultivated oilseed crops and is an important source of edible oil and nutritional components. It is widely grown in tropical and subtropical regions and possesses considerable adaptability to different agro-climatic conditions. Sesame seed is valued for its high-quality edible oil and is also used in food and several industrial products. Productivity of sesame is influenced by genetic characteristics of the variety as well as crop management practices. Among the agronomic factors, plant spacing is an important determinant of crop growth and productivity because it regulates plant population and the availability of light, moisture, nutrients and growing space to individual plants. Improper spacing may increase competition among plants and adversely affect crop growth and yield. Varieties differ considerably in plant canopy, branching growth, leaf production, capsule formation and yield potential. Therefore, the response of a variety may vary under different plant geometries. Proper interaction between genotype and plant population is essential for achieving higher seed productivity and efficient utilization of available resources. Plant geometry improves canopy structure and influences light interception, air circulation and resource utilization. Appropriate spacing reduces competition among plants for nutrients, moisture and light and may improve individual plant growth. Considering the importance of suitable variety and plant geometry for increasing sesame productivity, the present investigation was undertaken to study the response of sesame varieties to different spacings during kharif season under the conditions of Latur.

Materials and methods

The field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2025 at the Experimental Farm, Oilseeds Research Station, Latur, Maharashtra. The soil of the experimental field was clayey in texture, low in available nitrogen (236.10 kg ha -1 ), medium in available phosphorus (18.20 kg ha -1 ) and very high in available potassium (494.31 kg ha -1 ). The soil reaction was slightly alkaline with pH 7.75. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures during the crop growth period were 29.45 °C and 20.57 °C, respectively, while morning and evening relative humidity averaged 82.55 and 44.48 per cent, respectively. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with three replications. Factor A consisted of three sesame varieties viz., V₁: TLT-7, V₂: TLT-10 and V₃: Madhuri. Factor B consisted of three spacings viz., S 1: 45 × 10 cm 2 , S 2: 45 × 20 cm 2 and S 3: 45 × 30 cm 2 . Thus, there were nine treatment combinations and 27 experimental plots. The gross plot size was 5.40 × 4.80 m 2 and the net plot size varied according to spacing treatments. The crop was sown by dibbling on 21 July 2025. Seed treatment was carried out with Vitavax @ 2.5 g kg -1 seed. Two to four seeds were dibbled per hill at approximately 2 cm depth and thinning was carried out to maintain one healthy plant per hill. The recommended dose of 50:25:00 kg N:P 2 O 5: K 2 O ha -1 was applied through urea and single super phosphate. Five randomly selected plants from each net plot were tagged for recording biometric observations at different crop growth stages. The crop was harvested on 19 October 2025. The experimental data were statistically analysed according to the analysis of variance procedure for Factorial Randomized Block Design. Treatment means were compared using critical difference at 5 per cent level wherever the F-test was significant, following the procedure of Panse et al. (1967) [1] .

Results and discussion

Growth attributes

Plant height: Plant height increased progressively during crop growth and remained almost constant at harvest. Among varieties, variety TLT-7 recorded the highest plant height (89.02 cm) and remained at par with TLT-10 (87.29 cm), whereas variety Madhuri recorded the lowest value (79.55 cm). Among spacings, 45 cm × 10 cm recorded the highest plant height (91.81 cm) and was significantly superior to spacing 45 cm × 30 cm (79.98 cm), while spacing 45 cm × 20 cm remained intermediate. The greater height under closer spacing may be attributed to increased competition for light, resulting in more vertical growth. Number of branches: variety TLT-7 produced the highest number of branches plant -1 (7.92), which was at par with variety TLT-10 (7.54), while variety Madhuri recorded the lowest (5.98). Among spacings, 45 cm × 30 cm produced the highest number of branches (8.28), remaining at par with spacing 45 cm × 20 cm (6.93), whereas spacing 45 cm × 10 cm recorded the lowest (6.23). Wider spacing provided greater growing space and reduced inter-plant competition, favouring branch development.

Number of functional leaves: TLT-7 recorded the highest number of functional leaves plant -1 at 60 DAS (53.94), remaining at par with TLT-10 (50.14), whereas Madhuri recorded 41.96 leaves plant -1 . Among spacings, 45 cm × 30 cm recorded the highest value (55.22), followed by 45 cm × 20 cm (48.64) and 45 cm × 10 cm (42.18). The higher number of leaves under wider spacing may be attributed to greater availability of space, light, moisture and nutrients to individual plants.

Leaf area: TLT-7 recorded the highest leaf area plant -1 at 60 DAS (16.71 dm 2 ), which was at par with TLT-10 (16.60 dm 2 ), whereas Madhuri recorded the lowest value (13.76 dm 2 ). Among spacings, 45 cm × 30 cm recorded significantly higher leaf area (17.12 dm 2 ) than the closer spacings. Greater spacing allowed better individual plant development and canopy expansion. Total dry matter: TLT-7 accumulated the highest dry matter at harvest (26.82 g plant -1 ) and remained at par with TLT-10 (26.45 g plant -1

), whereas Madhuri recorded the lowest value (23.67 g plant -1 ). Among spacings, 45 cm × 30 cm recorded the highest dry matter accumulation (27.39 g plant -1 ), remaining at par with 45 cm × 20 cm (26.26 g plant -1 ). Wider spacing provided greater availability of growth resources, resulting in better biomass accumulation. The interaction effect of variety × spacing was non-significant for all the growth attributes, indicating that the response of varieties to different spacings remained broadly constant.

Yield attributes and yield

Number of capsules plant -1: The number of capsules plant -1 increased up to 75 DAS and remained constant at harvest. Among varieties, TLT-7 recorded the highest number of capsules (47.10), which was at par with TLT-10 (45.49), whereas Madhuri recorded the lowest (40.75). Among spacings, 45 cm × 30 cm recorded the highest number of capsules (48.04), which was at par with 45 cm × 20 cm (44.42), while 45 cm × 10 cm recorded the lowest value (40.88). Wider spacing favoured capsule production by reducing competition among individual plants. Capsule yield plant -1: Madhuri recorded the highest capsule yield plant -1 (37.50 g) and remained at par with TLT-10 (36.28 g), whereas TLT-7 recorded 33.37 g. Among spacings, 45 cm × 10 cm recorded the highest capsule yield (37.29 g) and was at par with 45 cm × 20 cm (34.36 g), while 45 cm × 30 cm recorded the lowest value (31.50 g). The interaction effect was non-significant. Seed yield plant -1: TLT-7 recorded the highest seed yield plant -1 (4.44 g) and remained at par with TLT-10 (4.34 g), whereas Madhuri recorded the lowest value (3.76 g). Among spacings, 45 cm × 30 cm recorded the highest seed yield plant -1 (4.62 g), followed by 45 cm × 20 cm (4.17 g) and 45 cm × 10 cm (3.75 g). The higher seed yield per plant under wider spacing was associated with better individual plant growth and greater development of branches and capsules. Seed yield: TLT-7 recorded the highest seed yield (659 kg ha -1 ) and was at par with TLT-10 (633 kg ha -1 ), whereas Madhuri recorded the lowest seed yield (546 kg ha -1 ). Among spacings, 45 cm × 10 cm recorded the highest seed yield (676 kg ha -1

), followed by 45 cm × 20 cm (617 kg ha -1 ) and 45 cm × 30 cm (545 kg ha -1 ). The higher seed yield under closer spacing may be attributed mainly to the greater number of plants accommodated per unit area. The interaction between variety and spacing was non-significant. ), remaining at par with TLT-10, while Madhuri recorded the lowest values. Among spacings, 45 cm × 10 cm recorded the highest biological yield (3148.78 kg ha -1 ). The greater biomass production under closer spacing was mainly associated with the higher plant population per unit area.

Conclusion

The study revealed that both variety and spacing significantly influenced growth and yield performance of sesame under kharif conditions at Latur. Among the varieties, TLT-7 recorded superior growth, yield attributes, seed yield and was generally at par with TLT-10. Among the spacings, 45 × 30 cm favoured individual plant growth and yield attributes, whereas 45 × 10 cm produced the highest seed yield, biological yield and was at par with 45 × 20 cm for important yield and economic parameters. Considering the overall performance, TLT-7 with 45 × 10 cm 2 spacing was found promising for obtaining higher seed productivity and profitability of sesame under the conditions of the present investigation. Since the study was conducted at one location during one kharif season, further evaluation across seasons and locations would be useful for confirming the recommendation.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementThe authors are grateful to the Oilseeds Research Station and College of Agriculture, Latur, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, for providing the facilities and support required for conducting the field experiment.

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10. How to cite this article: Gomladu K, Ghotmukale A, Patange MJ, Bhairewad VR, Shinde D, Lomate P, et al. Effect of different varieties and spacings on growth and yield of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). International Journal of Research in Agronomy. 2026;9(9):1391-1394. doi: https://www.doi.org/10.33545/261806 0X.2026.v9.i9s.6707