The present investigation was conducted at Tameia agriculture
research station Fayoum governorate, Egypt, during 2010 and 2011
seasons to study the combined effect of ridge width treatments i.e. R1:
ridges of 60 cm, R2: ridges of 80 cm and R3: ridges of 100 cm(beds
planted from both sides) and irrigation regime treatments i.e. I1:
irrigation at 40% Available Soil Moisture Depletion(ASMD), I2:
irrigation at 60% (ASMD) and I3: irrigation at 80% (ASMD) on yield
components, yield and some water relations of sesame crop < br />(Shandaweel -3 cv.).The split-plot design in randomized complatc
block, with four replications was applied, where ridge width treatments
were allocated to the main plots and the split ones were occupied with
irrigation regime treatments.
The main obtained results were as follows:-
Plant height, capsule number plant-1, seed weight plant-1, 1000-
seed weight, seed yield (t ha-1) and seed oil content (%) were
significantly affected by ridge width treatments and irrigation regime
in both seasons.
The highest averages of yield components, seed yield, R1I1 (1.311
and 1.252 t ha-1) and seed oil content (51.84 and 51.24%) were
detected from planting on ridges of 60 cm width and irrigation at 40%
ASMD in the two successive seasons.
Seasonal evapotranspiration as a function of all treatments were
121.01 and 117.68 cm ha-1 in 2010 and 2011 seasons, respectively.
Planting on ridges of 60 cm width and irrigation at 40% ASMD gave
the highest seasonal ETC values, i.e. 132.57 and 129.30 cm ha-1 in 2010
and 2011 seasons, respectively. However, the lowest ETC values, i.e.
110.22 and 107.48 cm ha-1 were detected from planting on ridges of
100 cm width (beds) and irrigation at 80% ASMD in the two
successive seasons. The crop coefficient (KC) values for the treatments
which gave the highest seed yield and ETC values (R1I1) were 0.42,
0.62, 0.80 and 0.57 for May, June, July and August months,
respectively, (average of the two seasons).
The highest water use efficiency values, i.e. 0.261 and 0.253 kg
seeds m-3 water consumed were resulted from planting on ridges of 60
cm width and irrigation at 40% ASMD, in 2010 and 2011 seasons,
respectively. It could be concluded that planting sesame on wide ridges
of 100 cm (beds) saved about 7.7% (423 m3 ha-1) in water
evapotranspiration and gave acceptable yield.