Univrsity of Tehran Press Iranian Journal of Field Crop Science 2008-4811 52 3 2021 09 23 Study of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) intercropping under weed control and non-control conditions Study of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) intercropping under weed control and non-control conditions 147 162 84409 10.22059/ijfcs.2020.294043.654669 FA Mehdi Hosseinzadeh Agronomy and Plant Breeding Dept., University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Iran. Seyed Mohammad Bagher Hoseini Agronomy and Plant Breeding Dept., University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Iran. 0000-0002-8743-4121 Hassan Alizadeh Agronomy and Plant Breeding Dept., University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Iran. 0000-0002-5685-6567 Journal Article 2019 12 14 Weed suppression and increased production are objectives of intercropping systems. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of mixed culture on weed suppression, yield and its components of sesame and cowpea. The experiment was arranged in a split plot based on a randomized complete block design with four replications at the research farm of Agriculture and Natural Resources Campus, University of Tehran, during 2019. The main plots included pure sesame culture, pure cowpea culture, 50% sesame: 50% cowpea, 65% sesame: 65% cowpea and 80% sesame: 80% cowpea and sub plots included weed control and no weed control treatments. Results showed that pure sesame culture had the highest weed density and dry weight and there was no significant difference in weed density and dry weight between mixed and pure cowpea cultivars. In the most studied traits, there was a significant difference between weed control and no weed control treatments. Land equivalent ratio (LER) was higher than one in all treatments and was higher in without weeding rather than weeding treatments. The intercropping of 50% sesame: 50% cowpea had the highest LER, in terms of weed control and non-control (1.15 and 1.72, respectively). In general, it is concluded that sesame and cowpea mixture increased the land use efficiency while avoiding weeds, especially compared to pure sesame cultivation. Weed suppression and increased production are objectives of intercropping systems. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of mixed culture on weed suppression, yield and its components of sesame and cowpea. The experiment was arranged in a split plot based on a randomized complete block design with four replications at the research farm of Agriculture and Natural Resources Campus, University of Tehran, during 2019. The main plots included pure sesame culture, pure cowpea culture, 50% sesame: 50% cowpea, 65% sesame: 65% cowpea and 80% sesame: 80% cowpea and sub plots included weed control and no weed control treatments. Results showed that pure sesame culture had the highest weed density and dry weight and there was no significant difference in weed density and dry weight between mixed and pure cowpea cultivars. In the most studied traits, there was a significant difference between weed control and no weed control treatments. Land equivalent ratio (LER) was higher than one in all treatments and was higher in without weeding rather than weeding treatments. The intercropping of 50% sesame: 50% cowpea had the highest LER, in terms of weed control and non-control (1.15 and 1.72, respectively). In general, it is concluded that sesame and cowpea mixture increased the land use efficiency while avoiding weeds, especially compared to pure sesame cultivation. https://ijfcs.ut.ac.ir/article_84409_f1deb9105570863c3d4f6a90ca182ba8.pdf