EFFECT OF FLYASH APPLICATION ON PHOTOSYHNTHESIS, GROWTH AND [YIELD OF SESAME SESAMUM INDICUM L.].

Field experiments were conducted to study the effect of seed pelleting with flyash at different concentrations ranging from 200 to 300g per kg of seed on growth, gas exchange parameters and seed yield in sesame. Observations on growth and yield parameters viz., plant height, number of branches, number of leaves, leaf area, dry matter production, root length, root weight, number of capsules, number of seeds per capsule, 1000 seed weight, seed yield per plant and gas exchange parameters viz., net photosynthetic rate, leaf temperature, stomatal conductance and intercellular CO2 were recorded. Rhizosphere population of bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and azospirillum were also estimated. Based on the results, it is found that sesame seeds treated with flyash @ 250 g,kg-1with rice gruel recorded the increased seed yield (Trial I - 11.867 g/plant and Trial II - 12.31 g/ plant) due to increase in growth and gas exchange parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]