The experiment was conducted in 2019 and 2020 growth seasons at the Teaching and Research Farm of College of Agriculture, Kabba, Kogi State to determine the performance of sesame as influenced by spacing and fertilizer rates. The experiment was a Split-plot design with three replicates. Three plant spacing constituted the main plot (S1-30x30 cm, S2-30x40 cm and S3-30x50 cm) and the sub-plots were four N, P and K fertilizer rates (F0-Control, F1-40:50:20 kg ha–1 N, P and K, F2-80:75:40 kg ha–1 N, P and K, F3-120:100:60 kg ha–1 N, P and K). Data collected were plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, number of branches, number of capsules plant–1 and grain yield (kg ha–1). Analysis of variance indicated that spacing had no significant (P > 0.05) effect on plant height, number of leaves and stem diameter across the months in both years. Plants treated with F3 were tallest at 4 weeks after sowing (WAS) in 2019 and at 8 and 10 WAS in 2020, although statistically similar to F1 and F2 at 8 WAS in 2020. However, F2 produced the tallest plants at 10 WAS in 2019 and had more leaves at 8 WAS in 2020 but statistically similar to F3. Application of F3 produced the widest stem at 6 WAS in 2020 and at 8 WAS in both years. Plants at S3 had greater number of branches in 2019 and more number of capsules plant–1 in 2020. In 2019, grain yield in S1 was 9.24 and 10.44% above S2 and S3, respectively. Grain yield was highest in F3 in both years but was not significantly superior to F2. Spacing x fertilizer interaction impacted some of the parameters taken. Adopting S1 and F2 that enhanced some of the growth and yield traits could increase sesame production in the study area.
Key words: Sesame, plant spacing, fertilizer, growth and yield
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