Effect of sowing date and distance between hills on yield components, seed yield and its quality of sesame crop (Sesamum indicum L.)

Abstract

A field experiment had been performed in clay–loam texture soil in Al–Jazira region of Al–Khalidia district - Al–Anbar government (latitude 33° and alatitude 43° northly) during the two summer seasones 1998 and 1999 to study the influence of sowing dates 10 April , 30 April , 20 May and the distance among the hills (10 , 20 , 30) cm and its interaction in yield components, seed yield and its quality of sesame crop (var. Al–MAHALI). Factorial experiment with R.C.B.D. of four replicates was used, the results were.The plants sowing in 20 may gave ahighest means for dry matter yield and number of capsules per plant in second season and its mean of two seasons also superior in seed weight/capsule, seed yields (1856.23 , 2140.08 , 2187.51) kg/ha, oil percentage and oil yield (1025.12 , 1215.26 , 1233.70) kg/ha in two seasons and its mean respectively. Compared with plants sowing in 10 April which gave a lowest means for all characters study.Increasing the space between hills caused to increased in most characteristics of yield, seed yield and its quality until reached a higher mean significantly (P < 0.05) in the wide space (30 cm) in both season and its mean.The interaction between sowing date (20 may) and space between hills (30 cm) caused to gave a highest mean significantly (P < 0.05) for dry matter yields (6597.71 kg/ha) in mean of two seasons, seed yields (2272.24 , 2633.78 , 2661.49) kg/ha and oil yields (1273.60 , 1519.13 , 523.40) kg/ha in two seasons and its mean respectively.It can be concluded that local Sesame can be planted on the second half of may at 30 cm between hills in the western region of Iraq (Al-Anbar province) due to its high seed yield and oil content.