Effect of Sowing Dates, Plant Density of Sesame and Intercropping on Yield and Yield Components of Cotton and Sesame

A field trial was conducted at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Kafr El – Sheikh Governorate (310 07ˉ N Latitude and 300 57ˉ E longitude with an elevation of about 6 mean sea level MSL), Egypt, during the two growing seasons of 2017 and 2018 to study the effect of sowing dates, plant density, and intercropping on yield and some yield attributes of cotton and sesame. Cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) and sesame (Sesamum indicum) were sole cropped and intercropped at three sowing dates (April 15 th (S1), April 30 th (S2) and May15th (S3)) and two densities (33% (D1) and 50% (D2) of sole crop) with sesame. The experiment was laid out in randomized completely block design with split plot design with three replications. sowing date of sesame were randomized in main plots and plant density of sesame in subplots. The highest amount of applied water (AW) and water consumptive use (CU) were recorded under the first sowing date, while the highest productivity of irrigation water (PIW) and water productivity (WP) were recorded at the third sowing date and 33% density for sesame. Sowing dates had non-significant effect on all traits in cotton except seed yield /plant at the second season that was significant but seed yield /fed was significant of both two seasons, while, non-significant effect on all traits in sesame except seed yield /plant was significant at two seasons. Plant densities were highly significant effect on all traits in cotton except plant height at two seasons. And boll weight at the first season, while, significant effect on all traits in sesame except no. of branches /plant that was in significant and seed yield /plant was significant at two seasons. The highest land equivalent ration (LER) were obtained 1.41, 1.40, respectively as mean of both two seasons. The highest mean net incomes were (30120 and 27688 L.E.) obtained fromsowing date 3 (May15th) and density 1(33%) of sesame in the first and second seasons, respectively.