RESPONSE OF SESAME (Sesamum indicum L.) TO MULCHING AND INORGANIC FERTILIZER APPLICATION IN A SOUTHERN GUINEA SAVANNAH ZONE OF NIGERIA

Abstract

SUMMARYSesame is best cultivated towards the end of the wet season in the southern guinea savannah zone of Nigeria because when planted early in the season, high moisture regime will predispose the crop to increased vegetative growth at the expense of seed formation, discoloured grains and create an unfavourable environment for harvesting, drying and processing of the seeds. However, growing sesame towards the end of the rainy season may subject it to moisture stress especially with the uncertainty introduced by climate change. This therefore necessitated an investigation into the potentials of incorporating mulch practice to conserve moisture and fertilizer nutrients in sesame production. A field study was conducted in the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Ilorin, Ilorin-Nigeria during the 2013 and 2014 cropping seasons to evaluate the effects of mulching and NPK fertilizer on the performance of sesame (ExSudan variety). Treatments consisted of three mulch types (no mulch (NM), grass mulch (GM) and wood shavings (WS) mulch applied at the rate of 0.5 t ha -1 ) and five levels of NPK fertilizer 20:10:10. The experiment was laid out in a 3 x 5 factorial arrangement replicated thrice. Data were collected on soil parameters (some physical and chemical properties), plant growth parameters (plant height, number of leaves and number of branches) and yield parameters (number of capsules per plant, weight of seeds per plant and weight of seeds per hectare). The result of the study indicated that using mulch alone increased the water holding capacity and the organic matter content of the soil. However, using the grass mulch and fertilizer at the rate of 300 kgha -1 resulted in an increase in the growth and yield parameters which were significantly different (P<0.05) from the other treatments in both years. The average yield of the two years of study

Assessment of youth participation in indigenous farm practices of vegetable production in Oyo State, Nigeria

“…The nutritional values of the edible portion of the vegetables have been reported to be rich in protein, carbohydrates, fibres, vitamins, minerals and oxidants. It is also a recipe for children and adults suffering from anaemia (Eifediyi et al, 2008). Vegetable farmers used locally available materials which were renewable and available locally in their areas, such practices used include composting, crop rotation, mulching, fallowing, *Corresponding author.…”

“…The knowledge is gone, because the indigenous knowledge of farming practices including indigenous vegetable cultivation is with the older people who stand the chance of being lost due to aging, only few youths still have it. Eifediyi et al (2008) pointed out that the cultivation and use of vegetable is part of African cultural heritage and the play important role in tradition and food culture of the African household. It is indisputable that western technologies have either positive or negative impacts in ordering the development process of the African nations' economies.…”

The effects of zinc biofortification of seeds and NPK fertilizer application on the growth and yield of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

“…This is the reason why the cultivation of crops is done solely with the application of external inputs such as nitrogenous fertilizer which has led to the depletion of valuable micronutrients such as zinc over time. Eifediyi et al (2016) had reported that soils of the study area are deficient in macro and micro nutrients which are essential for crop growth and development.…”

Effect of Fertilizer Application on Soil Properties and Yield of Sesame (sesamum indicum l.) Varieties in Southern Guinea and Sudan Savanna Agro-Ecological Zones of Nigeria

“…Potential yields are probably as high as 2000 kg ha -1 (Adebowale et al, 2010;Hansen, 2011). Eifediyi (2016) stated that other major constraints to sesame production in the tropics are poor road network, poor access to credit facilities, poor extension services, high cost of inorganic fertilizers and other farm inputs.…”

“…The importance of fertilizer as agricultural input cannot be over emphasized, particularly in Nigeria where the nutrient levels of the soils are low (Agbede, 2009;Eifediyi, 2016). Fertilizer has been used to improve the yield of sesame for many years especially in the savanna region of Nigeria, where it is a sine-qua-non in fertility management because of the inherently low organic matter content of the soils in the region (Ali et al, 2006).…”