Effect of Planting Geometry on Growth and Yield of Summer Sesamum (Sesamum indicum L.) and Incidence of Pest and Disease in Relation to Weather Parameters

The field experiment was conducted during summer season of 2013–14 on sesamum, Sesamum indicum L. with an objective to study the effect of planting geometry on growth and yield of summer sesamum and incidence of pests and diseases in relation to weather parameters. The resultsof the study indicated that all the treatments were significantly influenced. Amongst the treatments, the treatment 45 cm x 10 cm spacing was significantly superior in plant height (77.60 cm), number of functional leaves plant⁻¹ (153.10), leaf area plant⁻¹ (11.27 dm²), number of branches plant⁻¹(10.94), number of capsulesplant⁻¹ (69.71), dry matter plant⁻¹(20.13 g), seed weight plant⁻¹ (4.14 g) and weight of capsules plant⁻¹ (29.46 g) and incidence of pests viz., leaf hopper (Orosius albientus), bihar hairy caterpillar (Spilarctia oblique) and pod bug (Elasmolomus sordidus) were observed positively correlated with maximum temperature, minimum temperature, morning relative humidity, evening relative humidity and bright sunshine hours except leaf hopper and in disease sesamum phyllody same results were observed.