Effect of Varieties and Sowing Times on Yield Contributing Characters of Kharif Sesamum (Sesamum indicum L.)

A field experiment was conducted at Department of Agricultural Meteorology farm, Pune during kharif, 2013 to evaluate the effect of varieties and sowing times on yield contributing characters of sesamum. Aexperiment wasconductedina factorialrandomized block design with three replications. Sixteen treatmentcombinationswere formedconsideringfour varieties and four sowing times. Abasal dose of 40 kg P₂O₅ha⁻¹was applied through single super phosphate and 20 kg K₂O ha⁻¹ through muriate of potash. However, N dose @ 60 kg ha⁻¹ was applied through urea in two equal split doses at sowing and 30 days after sowing. The yield contributing characters viz., number of capsules plant⁻¹, weight of dry capsule plant⁻¹, weight of seed plant⁻¹ and 1000 seed weight werefavourably influencedincaseof varietyAKT101 except 1000 seed weight, which was more with the variety Phule Til-1. Sowing of sesamum during 27^th Met. week (2^nd July-8^th July) favourably influenced number of capsules plant⁻¹, weight of seed plant⁻¹ and 1000 seed weight.