Reem Aleed1*, Yaser AL Suliman2 and Nahala Al-Mahmo
1 GCSAR. Damascus, Syria.
2 Dair El-Zour Research Center. Dair El-Zour, GCSAR, Dair El-Zour, Syria.
(Corresponding author: Dr. Reem Aleed, Email: reem.ay.aleed@gmail.com, Phone: 0934555312).
Received:14 /12 / 2025 Accepted:24 /02 /2026
Abstract:
The experiment was conducted at Saalo Research Station, affiliated with the General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research in Dair El-Zour, during the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons. Two sesame genotypes (Zuri and Hourani) were evaluated under three sowing dates (May 1, May 15, and June 1) and four plant densities (170, 200, 250, and 330 thousand plants per hectare). The experiment was laid out in a split–split plot design with three replications, aiming to study the effect of sowing date and plant density on the growth and productivity of sesame and to determine the most suitable genotype for cultivation in the study area. The following traits were recorded: number of days to flowering, number of days to physiological maturity, plant height, number of capsules per plant, thousand-seed weight, and seed yield. The plant density of 200 thousand plants per hectare resulted in a significant increase in the number of capsules per plant, thousand-seed weight, and seed yield. In contrast, increasing plant density from 200 to 330 thousand plants per hectare led to a reduction in these traits. The sowing date of May 15 significantly increased the number of days to maturity, thousand-seed weight, and seed yield compared with early and late sowing dates. Moreover, the Hourani genotype outperformed the Zuri genotype, producing the highest seed yield of 2747 kg ha⁻¹ when sown at a density of 200 thousand plants per hectare on May 15.
Keywords: Sowing date; Plant density; Growth; Seed yield; Sesame.
Full paper in Arabic: PDF