Sesame Drought Damage and Prevention Measures Explained

Sesame is one of the important oil and grain crops in China and is grown in all parts of the country, but various problems often occur during cultivation, seriously affecting farmers' planting returns. Today the editor will explain sesame drought damage for everyone and summarize in detail the damage, diagnosis and prevention measures of sesame drought damage. Let's take a look.

1. Drought damage

When drought occurs during the sowing period of sesame, it can cause the seeds to fail to emerge, and even if they emerge, it can cause problems such as uneven emergence or poor growth at the seedling stage; if continuous drought occurs during the growth period, it often causes slow growth and development of sesame, wilting, yellowing and shedding of leaves, and premature aging of leaves in the later stage, causing great harm; drought during flowering can cause reduced flowering and capsule formation, shedding of flower buds, short plants, reduced yield, and lower quality. Generally, drought can reduce yield by 10%-30%, and in severe drought, yield reduction can reach more than 50%.

2. Diagnosis

When the moisture in the soil is lower than 50% of field capacity or the soil moisture content is below 16%, the plants will show temporary wilting, and at this time timely irrigation is needed. The degree of leaf wilting varies depending on the duration of the drought. When there is a long drought without rain and no good irrigation conditions, it is necessary to record the climate and the duration of the drought. At the same time, from 1 to 3 p.m., investigate the percentage of wilting plants and the percentage of plants recovering after the drought condition is relieved, and record them according to the degree of plant wilting in three grades: strong, medium and weak.

3. Prevention measures

First, establish and improve a sound farmland water conservancy guarantee system that can achieve irrigation in drought, drainage in waterlogging, and reduction of waterlogging damage, and, in combination with local actual conditions, develop water-saving irrigation techniques such as drip irrigation or sprinkler irrigation. When planting, choose varieties with strong drought tolerance. Generally, single-stem varieties have stronger drought tolerance than branching varieties, and those with fewer trichomes have stronger drought tolerance than those with more trichomes. Sesame avoids continuous cropping, so land selection also requires attention. It is best to choose plots with good fertilizer and water conditions and where sesame has not been planted for more than three years. In areas where drought occurs frequently and lasts for a long time, land preparation measures such as autumn plowing to form ridges and spring harrowing and pressing can be adopted, and sowing at the right time and with suitable soil moisture can reduce the impact of drought damage. When cultivating seedlings, strengthen seedling-stage management, thin seedlings in time, and cultivate strong seedlings. In field cultivation, once signs of drought are found, carry out shallow intertillage early, and cover between rows with drought-resistant coverings such as straw and plastic film to reduce water evaporation.

The above is an introduction to the damage and prevention measures of sesame drought. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please follow us.