Performance of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) under the synergistic effects of integrated weed management practices and vermicompost

Abstract

A field study was carried out during the kharif season of 2024 at the Agricultural Research Farm of Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur (Rajasthan) on loamy sand soil. The experiment comprised ten weed management treatments and two levels of vermicompost, resulting in twenty treatment combinations. These treatments were evaluated in a factorial randomized block design with three replications, using sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) variety ‘RT-346’. The findings revealed that hand weeding performed twice at 30 and 60 days after sowing (W9) significantly enhanced plant height, dry matter accumulation, number of branches per plant, capsules per plant, seeds per capsule, as well as seed, stalk, and biological yields. This treatment also recorded the lowest weed density, weed dry matter, and weed index, along with the highest weed control efficiency when compared to the weedy check. Furthermore, application of vermicompost at 5.0 t/ha markedly improved plant height, dry matter production, number of branches per plant, seeds per capsule, and seed, stalk, and biological yields over the control. In contrast, weed-related parameters remained statistically unaffected by vermicompost application.