Managing Integrated NPSB Fertilizers and Farmyard Manure to Improve the Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Yield in Guraferda Districts, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Sesame is an important oil and cash crop produced in Ethiopia. However, its productivity is low due to poor agronomic practice like inappropriate use of fertilizers. The study was conducted at Gurafarda districts, under farmer field in 2021 cropping season to evaluate the effect of organic and inorganic fertilizers on sesame yield improvement. The experiment consisted three levels of FYM (0, 5 and 10 t/ha), four levels of NPSB fertilizers (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg NPSB/ha). It was laid out as RCBD in a factorial arrangement with three replications. Agronomic data were collected and analyzed. The showed that interaction effect of FYM and NPSB fertilizers significantly increased days to 50% flowering and 75% maturity days, plant height, number of primary branches/plants, productive capsule per plants, above ground biomass and seed yield. 1000 seed weight harvest index were affected by their main effects. The longest days to flowering (47.66) and maturity (109.16) days were observed from application of 10 t FYM + 150 kg N PSB/ha; and the shortest flowering and maturity (36.66 and 95) days were recorded from control treatments, respectively. The maximum and minimum number of primary branches (5.5, 2.96)/plant was obtained at the highest levels and zero application of FYM and NPSB respectively. The tallest and shortest plants (180.8 cm, 92.75) were recorded from application of 10 t FYM + 150 kg NPSB/ha and nil application of FYM and NPSB respectively. Moreover, combination of 10 t FYM/ha with 50 kg NPSB /ha resulted in maximum seed yield (652.3) kg/ha and aboveground biomass (4529.09) kg/ha, was recorded from 10 t FYM + 150 kg NPSB/ha; which was in statistical parity with application of 10 t FYM + 100 kg/ha NPSB. The highest net benefit (49 996.3 ETB) and the highest marginal rate of return (16 323.2%) were obtained from combined application of 10t FYM and 50 kg NPSB fertilizers/ha, thus, it could be concluded that application of farmyard manure at the rate of 10 t/ha with + 50 kg NPSB ha^–1 resulted in economic benefit, implying that farmers in the study area should make a choice of this farmyard manure and NPSB fertilizer rate for enhancing production of the crop and increase their household income.