Blended NPSB fertilizer rates effect on growth, yield and yield components of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) varieties at konso, Southern Ethiopia

Sesame is an important cash and food oil crop cultivated in low lands of Ethiopia. However, sesame productivity was constrained due to declining soil fertility, inadequate extension and demonstration of improved high yielding varieties. Thus, response of sesame varieties to rates of blended NPSB fertilizer was studied at Konso, Southern Ethiopia, during 2019/2020 cropping season to determine sesame varieties and blended NPSB fertilizer rate on growth, yield, and yield components. The experiment consisted of three sesame varieties and five blended NPSB fertilizer rates laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Results of analysis showed that days to crop phenology, growth, seed yield and oil content variables were significantly (p˂0.05) affected due to sesame varieties and blended NPSB fertilizer rates. Variety Setit-2 showed maximum plant height (153.83cm), number of nods plant-1 (31), number of branches plant-1 (8), number of capsules plant-1 (129), number of seeds capsule-1 (67) and 1000 seed weight (3.52g). Maximum number of days to 50% flowering (54), days to physiological maturity (93), plant height (146.17cm) and oil content (58.51%) were recorded at 200 kg ha-1 blended NPSB fertilizer. High nods plant-1 (32), number of branches plant-1 (8), number of capsules plant-1 (141), number of seeds capsule-1 (68) and thousand seed weight (3.87g) were recorded at 100 kg ha-1 blended NPSB fertilizer. The highest above ground dry biomass (4298.96 kg ha-1), harvest index (25.6%), seed yield (1099.33 kg ha-1) and oil yield (616.16 kg ha-1) recorded from variety Setit-2 when combined with 100kg ha-1blended NPSB fertilizer. Thus, blended fertilizer at rate of 100kg NPSB ha-1 and Setit-2 were suggested for sesame production the study area.