When is the best time to plant sesame?

Sesame seeds can start to germinate at a temperature of 15℃, but the most suitable germination temperature is 24℃. As a warmth-loving crop, sesame requires a relatively warm environment for its growth and development. If the temperature is too high or too low, it will have an adverse effect on the germination and overall growth of sesame. Therefore, when growing sesame, make sure the ambient temperature is within a suitable range to promote its healthy growth. So when is the best time to plant sesame? Let’s learn about the planting time and method of sesame.

1. Timely sowing and reasonable density planting

Sesame likes warmth and is usually sown in spring from March to April, and in autumn from July to August. The soil moisture should be moderate when sowing, and the seeds should form a ball when you grab it and fall apart when you let go. Sowing methods include broadcasting, row sowing, hole sowing or seedling transplanting. The seed rate for broadcasting is about 4.5 kg/hectare, the seed rate for row sowing is about 6 kg/hectare, the seed rate for hole sowing is 3 kg/hectare, and the seed rate for transplanting is 3 kg/hectare. Be sure to lightly compact the soil after sowing.

2. Site selection and land preparation

Choose dry land or dry slope land with loose, fertile and well-drained soil to plant sesame, and avoid continuous cropping to reduce diseases. Deeply plow the land to 15-20 cm, and plant in ridges with a width of 3 or 2 meters and a height of 15-20 cm. The length of the ridge should be controlled within 30 meters to facilitate irrigation and drainage. Apply 7.5-15 tons/hectare of decomposed farmyard manure and 450-600 kg/hectare of superphosphate as base fertilizer, or use 135 kg/hectare of urea, 150 kg/hectare of potassium chloride and 450-600 kg/hectare of superphosphate as full-layer fertilizer, then harrow and form ridges for sowing.

3. Field management

Check seedlings, supplement seedlings and thin out seedlings in time to ensure appropriate plant spacing. After the peak flowering period, remove the terminal buds 2-3 cm to eliminate apical dominance, reduce nutrient consumption, promote the growth and firming of capsules, and increase yield.

4. Fertilizer and water management

On the basis of applying sufficient base fertilizer, the amount of topdressing is 112.5-150 kg/hectare of urea and 225 kg/hectare of potassium sulfate. The time for topdressing is 1/3 of the seedling stage and 2/3 of the bud stage and flowering stage. Foliar fertilizer should be applied with 0.4% potassium dihydrogen phosphate and 0.2% borax during the flowering period, once every 5 days, for 2-3 times in a row. Keep the soil moist, irrigate in time when there is drought, and drain in time after rain.

5. Disease, insect and weed control

Choose disease-resistant varieties, rotate crops rationally, and use 700 times diluted 50% thiophanate-methyl or 1000 times diluted 50% thiophanate-methyl to spray to prevent and control diseases. For insect pests, use 80% dichlorvos EC 1.5 liters/hectare or 90% trichlorfon crystals 2.25 kg/hectare for water spraying. Use herbicides to treat the soil surface within 3 days after sowing, and use stem and leaf treatment agents to spray weeds after emergence.

6. Harvest at the right time

About 20 days after sesame blooms, most of the leaves turn yellow and fall off by more than 2/3, the capsule becomes yellow-brown, cracked at the bottom and slightly yellow at the top, and the seeds show a fixed luster, which is the right time to harvest. After harvesting, dry the fruits in time, thresh them by beating, and then bag them after drying and cleaning.

The key to achieving high-yield sesame cultivation is to follow scientific planting techniques and management methods. The above are some cultivation points to increase sesame yield.