EFFECTS OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZER RATES ON THE YIELD AND ECONOMIC RETURNS OF SESAME (SESAMUM INDICUM L.) IN THE NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA OF NIGERIA

Field trials were conducted during the rainy seasons of 2005, 2006 and 2007 at the research farm of Institute for Agricultural Research Samaru (110 11/ N, 070 380E, and 686m above sea level) to study the productivity of sesame as influenced by nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer rates. The experiment consisted of three levels of nitrogen fertilizer in the form of urea (0, 60, and 120KgN/ha) and three levels of phosphorus in the form of single super phosphate (0, 13.2 and 26.4KgN/ha). The nine treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Sesame production gave significantly better yields and economic returns with applications of 60 kg/ha of nitrogen and 13.2 kg/ha of phosphorus fertilizers.