Evaluating sowing method and soil applied herbicides on weed control and yield of sesame

Due to the low competitive ability of sesame against weeds, the presence of weeds greatly reduces sesame yield, therefore, weed control is very important in this crop. An experiment was carried out as split plots based on randomized complete block design with three replications in July 2017 in Ramhormoz, Khuzestan, Iran. In this experiment, treatments including sowing method as the main plot at three levels (flat, sowing on ridge and in farrow) and herbicide application as the sub plot including oxyfluorfen (360 ml ai ha-1), diuron (540 g ai ha-1), trifluralin (1200 ml ai ha-1), and linuron (562.5 ml ai ha-1). Hand weeding and weed infested treatments, also, were considered for comparison. Results indicated that the highest dry weight reduction percentage of nulta jute (Corchorus olitorius L.) was observed in trifluralin application in farrow (83.09%) at 75 days after herbicide application and field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) in oxyflurfen application (83.30%) at 30 days after treatment. The highest of biological and seed yield was observed in hand weeding in farrow (10142.7 and 1930.37 Kg ha-1, respectively). Application of trifluralin in farrow, also, was effective treatment according seed yield (1878.2 Kg ha-1). The highest oil percentage (52.36%) was obtained in hand weeding in farrow. The highest harvest index (18.23%) was observed in farrow. Totally, the best integrated method to control weeds and improve sesame yield, was sowing in farrow along with hand weeding, or the application of trifluralin.