THE EFFECT OF INORGANIC FERTILIZER (NITROGEN) ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF SESAME VARIETIES IN BAUCHI, NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA, NIGERIA

Dr. Nanyi J.I. Dutse

ABSTRACT

A field experiment was carried out during the rainy seasons of 2006 and 2007 at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching and Research Farm, Bauchi, to study “The Effect of Inorganic fertilizer (Nitrogen) and Variety on some growth and yield characters of Sesamum indicum L”. The treatments consisted of three sesame varieties; which were two improved varieties NCRI BEN-01M, NCRI BEN- 02M, and a local variety Bogoro local. The improved seeds were obtained from National Cereal Research Institute Baddegi in Niger State Nigeria, while the local seeds were obtained from a local farmer in Bogoro Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Nigeria. The second treatment were four levels of inorganic fertilizer which were marked as N0; Control(no fertilizer),N1=16g/4m²(40kg/ha), third was N2=20g/4m²(50/kg/ha) and fourth treatment was N3=24g/m²(60kg/ha) The Inorganic fertilizer(Nitrogen) which was  Urea was bought from a fertilizer dealers in the local market of Yelwa village in Bauchi, where the research farm was located. Results obtained and analysed on the “The Effect of Inorganic Fertilizer (Nitrogen) and Varieties on the growth and Yield of Sesamum indicum “, during 2006 and 2007 cropping season as observed, recorded and analysed; showed that both Inoraganic fertilizer and variety had very high significant effect (P≤ 0.05) on Sesamum ndicum leaf area (cm²) all through the period of the investigation except at 6 after germination. . The  effect of inorganic fertilizer and variety on Sesamum indicum plant height (cm) seemed to have followed the same trend as it is in leaf are(cm²) with the crops treated to N2 which is 50 kg/ha level of nitrogen producing plants with larger leaf area and taller plants (cm). However the results obtained in respect of  Inorganic fertilizer (Nitrogen) effect on Sesamum indicum number of branches per plant, all through the period of study  showed non significant effect on Sesamum indicum number of branches per plant.  However variety within this period of the investigation had very high significant effect (P≤ 0.05) on Sesamum indicum number of branches per plant. Effect of Inorganic (Nitrogen) fertilizer on Sesamum indicum number of fruits per plant within the period of investigation was statistically non significant except at 10 weeks after germination. Variety within the study period was observed to have had high significant effect on Sesamum indicum number of fruits per plant. Influence of nitrogen fertilizer on Sesamum indicum final seed yield was a bit controversial though non significant, performance of the crop seed yield, even without fertilizer seem to depend more on variety and amount of rainfall  with its distribution within the period of plant growth, development and reproduction, especially during fruit and seed formation. While effect of variety on Sesamum indicum seed yield which is  the farmer’s main target was dependent on rainfall with the two hybrid varieties performing up to at least four times better with less rainfall in 2006 than local variety.