Agromorphological Characterization of the Main Sesame Varieties Grown in the Sahelian Zone of Chad

Abstract

Sesame (<i>Sesamum indicum</i> L.) would be one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. Currently in Chad, its cultivation is in vogue and constitutes one of the priorities of farmers. The objective of this study was to highlight the agronomic and morphological characteristics of two varieties of sesame grown in the Sahelian zone of Chad. The experiment was conducted in open fields in the natural site of Kournari, around thirty kilometers from the capital N'Djamena. The local black seed and white seed S-42 varieties were grown in a randomized Fisher block design with 3 replicates. Plant height, number of leaves, number of capsules, number of seeds per capsule, average seed weight, weight of 1000 seeds, and grain yields per plant were determined. The measured parameters showed that vegetative development is greater in the S-42 variety than in the local variety. While in terms of yield per plant, the local variety is more productive with 33.01 g per plant compared to 20.08 g per plant for the S-42 variety. Plant height had a negative effect on grain yield per plant. It would be interesting to study the characteristics of other varieties in order to identify those which would best respond to the Sahelian climate.