GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF SESAME (SESAMUM INDICUM L.) VARIETIES AT VARYING LEVELS OF ROW SPACING

A field experiment was conducted at Agrotechnology Field Laboratory in KhulnaUniversityto evaluate the effect of row spacing on the yield and yield contributing characters of sesame varieties during  Kharif  season, 2007. Three varieties of sesame (V 1  = T 6 , V 2  = Batiaghata local Til and V 3  = BINA Til) and three row spacing (S 1  = 15 cm, S 2  = 30 cm and S 3  = 45 cm) formed the treatment variables. The experiment was laid out in a double factor randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Crop growth, leaf number, yield and yield contributing characters were observed. Variety and row spacing significantly influenced almost all the growth parameters studied. Similarly all the yield attributes were significantly affected by varieties and row spacing. Highest seed yield was produced by BINA Til and the lowest seed yield was produced by variety Batiaghata local Til. Similarly highest seed yield was produced by row spacing 30 cm and the lowest seed yield was produced by row spacing 45 cm. Interaction effect of variety and row spacing was significant on all plant characters studied except capsule plant -1 . The highest seed yield was obtained from variety BINA Til when grown in 30 cm row spacing and the lowest seed yield was produced by the variety Batiaghata local Til with a row spacing of 45 cm. Thus the 30 cm row spacing and variety BINA Til may be the best for sesame.