Abstract

                                Sesamum, a traditional oilseed crop, is susceptible to poor plant establishmentdue to various biotic and abiotic factors for which transplanting is a suitableoption. Still, suitable media for promoting the growth and establishment ofsesame seedlings have not yet been exploited. Therefore, a preliminary fieldexperiment was conducted in 2019 at Agricultural College and ResearchInstitute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai, India, to study theeffect of various media compositions on the performance of transplantedsesame. Media compositions such as red earth, FYM, vermicompost andcomposted coir pith were used. The experiment was laid out in randomizedblock design with four replications. Results revealed that higher seedgermination percentage ( 88), establishment percentage (94), vigor index(1674), seedling height (15 cm), capsules plant-1(83), seeds capsule-1 (58),and seed yield ( 839 kg ha-1) were recorded in media comprising red earth:sand: vermicompost: composted coir pith (2:1:1:1) followed by red earth:sand: vermicompost (2:1:1). Therefore, the media composition of red earth:sand: vermicompost: composted coir pith is highly suitable for promotinggrowth, seedling vigor, and yield enhancement in transplanted sesame.

Key words : Composted coir pith; Sesame; Seed germination; Vermicompost; Vigor index; Yield