ASHRY, M.R.K; ABDOU, S.M.M.; YOUSSEF, K.M.R.; AND EL-AKRAM, M.F.I. ( 2012). water relations and yield of sesame in relation to ridge width and irrigation regime) Fayoum J. Agric. Res. &Dev., Vol. 26, No.2, Julay, 2012.
Abstract: 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 (Shandaweel -3 cv.).The split-plot design 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 (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. Nevertheless, 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.
Keywords: (Sesame yield, yield components, ridge width, irrigation regime, sesame crop, water relationships.)
