Effect of sesame + pulses intercropping systems on growth, yield and quality parameters of sesame

A field experiment was conducted to study the intercropping of sesame with black gram & green gram during pre-kharif season of 2015 at agricultural farm, Palli Siksha Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, Birbhum, West Bengal in red and lateritic soil. The experiment was conducted by following Randomized Block Design (RBD) and 12 treatments were replicated thrice. The treatments were T1-sole sesame (30 cm spaced uniform row), T2-sole sesame (40 cm spaced uniform row), T3 - sole sesame (60 cm spaced paired row), T4 -sole sesame (100 cm spaced four row), T5 - sole black gram (15 cm spaced row), T6 -sole green gram (40 cm spaced row), T7-sesame + black gram (1:1 in 40 cm spaced row), T8 - sesame + green gram (1:1 in 40 cm spaced row), T9-sesame + blackgram (2:2 in 20/60 cm spaced row), T10-sesame + green gram (2:2 in 20/60 cm spaced row), T11-sesame + blackgram (4:4 in 20/100 cm spaced row), T12 -sesame + green gram (4:4 in 20/100 cm spaced row). Different growth parameters such as plant height and no. of branches plant-1 recorded higher than different intercropping systems. Whereas sesame + green gram (4:4) recorded highest dry matter accumulation (45.97 g m-2). Intercropping of sesame with green gram and black gram also showed higher yield attributes such as no. of capsules plant-1, no. of seeds capsule-1 and test weight. Highest grain yield, oil yield and protein content was obtained from sole sesame (30 cm spaced uniform row) followed by sesame + blackgram (2:2 in 20/60 cm spaced row) and also remained at par.