SESAMUM (Sesamum indicum L)

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE:
It is oil seed crop is well known for its diversified uses
cooking media burning the lambs ingredient of
medicines ,preparation of perfumed hair oil.
Hydrogenation and even some industrial purposes
(paints ,soap and insectsides) the sesamum also called
as sesame seeds are directly consumed for different
culinary purposes.
The seeds rich in oil 50% protein 18 - 20 % minerals like
phosphorus and iron. The seeds provide high energy
5.75kcal/g. oil cake is edible and is used for many ready
to eat foods. Oil cake is also used as cattle feed as it
contain 6.2%N 2.2% phosphorus and 1.2% potassium.
THERAPEUTIC AND MEDICINAL VALUES OF SESAMUM OIL:
Due to vitamin E ( antioxidant) and higher PUFA.
 Sesamum oil used is to reduce cholesterol levels/blood
pressure, the oil.
 contains minerals like calcium, Zink Coper and vitamin B6
 Also useful to prevent osteoporosis , colon ,
cancer ,migraine and rheumatoid arthritis.
 Its mitigates anxiety nerve/bone disorders muscular
spams , joint pain and backache
 Its to massage to babies improves body weight bone
development.
 And immune system
 Its regular application to skin can restore the skin
moisture, skin glow and softness.
 Its also used laxative as remedy to tooth aches and gum
disease.
ORIGIN AND HISTORY:
 The cultivated species sesamum indicum was originated
in India .
 But in subsaharan areas many wild types of sesamum
are grown as natural vegetation.
 It must have spread from India to China , thailand ,
Myanmar and Japan, while secondary centre of origin
seems to be around Somalia and Sudan.
 It is popularly grown in other African countries like the
Ethiopia and Nigeria.
AREA AND DISTRIBUTION: Sesamum is mainly grown in
India (1. 84 million hectare ) Myanmar (1.57 Million hectare)
Sudan (1.27 million hectare) China (0.48 million hectare )
and other 65 countries.
Global area under sesamum is around 8.2 million hectare,
Followed by India (0.62 million tons) and China (0.59 million
tons) its productivity is highest in China (1.22t/ha) and India
ranks very low in respect of productivity (0.34 t/ha) Somalia
Ethiopia , Uganda .
CLASSIFICATION:
Sesamum is classified based on many criteria some of them
are as follows:-
Based on seed colour: plants with white colour seeds have
less numbers of branches /flowers and less yield whereas.
Plants with black colour seeds have more branches/flowers
and more yield.
Based on maturity: early maturity results in less numbers of
branches /flowers and less yield and late maturity results
with more branches/flowers and more yield.
Based on the number of the carpels: On the bases of
numbers of carpels, it can be divided into two types.
Bicarpellatum with two carpels in flowers and
quadricarpellatum with four carpels in flowers.
SOIL AND CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS:
Its main area is distributed between 25°N to 25°S
Latitudes , it is being grown up to 40°N in China , Russia and
USA and 30°S in Australia. It can be grown to an altitude of
2000m, most of its area is up to 1500m. A temperatures of
25 to 27°C for rapid germination and growth up to flowering .
Temperatures below 18 – 20°C retard the growth results in
pollen sterility and flower drop. Temperature > 40°C harm
affect the fertilisation. The continues rain or water logging
can damage the crop By enhancing the fungal diseases.
The crop can be grown under low rainfall once the seedling
stage is based its water requirement is low (35 – 40cm).
It is short day plant but many local varieties would adjust to
Sesame can be grown on variety of soils , but its
performance is better in moderately fertile soils with good
drainage and neutral PH(5.5-8.0) it is grown on laterite light
soils or clay rich vertisols or clay loam soils.
BOTANICALDESCRIBTION OF PLANT:
Sesamum belong to family pedaliaceae and is an
annual herb growing to a height up to meter stem is
erect , leaves vary shape and size leaves are opposite
alternate or mixed , colour are varying from white to
purple self pollination is a rule , but cross pollination
can take place to the 25 to 30% with the help insects
fruits the dehiscent four chambered capsule seeds
with varying colour black brown and white and grey
Early types have shalower roots with few secondary
CROPPING PATTERNS:
Due to its short duration sesame can fit into many
sequential systems as catch crop or as rotational crop,
prominent sequential system are rice sesame , sesame
check pea, sesame sorghum, cotton sesame wheat, sesame
safflower. Sesame jowar, catton sesame wheat ,potato
sesame .
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT:
One of the main reasons for poor productivity of sesamum
in some countries of the world is the way of nutrients
applied to it.
Even solo crop of sesame is grown under poor fertility
without proper nutrient management , but under ideal
condition of sesame can respond well in good nutrient
management practices because 2.2ton /ha of harvested
WATER MANAGEMENT:
Irrigations may help the crop in rainless period , but
summer crop certainly needs to be irrigated once in
8 – 12 days depending on type of soil , preferably
coinciding with critical stages like flower initiation ,
capsule filling stages, its total water requirement is
low (35 - 40 cm).
WEED MANAGEMENT:
Critical period for competition of weeds is up to 35
days ,row sowing enables the use of blade harrows
in between and controls the weeds effectively. Two
intercultivations 15 DAS and 35DAS are sufficient,
when broadcasting is followed to sow the crop hand
weeding becomes compulsory.
Otherwise the crop will certainly suffer , if weed intensively
is very high Alachlor at 1L a.i./ha or thiopencarp at 2La.i/ha
as pre – emergence spray may be necessary ,many times use
of herbicides is not cost effective due to low yield and low
net returns.
PESTS AND DISEASES:
Phyllody: very important and devastating disease caused
mycoplasma , transmitted by leaf hopers one or more floral
organ grows leafy structures along excessive vegetative
growth, it is also characterised by small leaves excessive
epical activity and short internodes , it may result into
complete or partial loss of yield , it can be controlled by the
spray of oxydemeton – methyl at 1ml /L
phythophthora blight: it caused by soil fungi and
charaterised by irregular water soaked spots ,leaves /stems
which later discolour to ashy /brown colour and caused
The droppage of leaves . It can be controlled by avoiding
poorly drinage soil or by the spray of Zeneb at2g/L.
Bacterial Blight: caused by bacteria (xanthomonas)
symptoms similar the fungul blight but leaves irregular
black lesions it can be controlled by the spray of Bavistin at
1g/L or seed treatment with Agrimycin (soaking in 0.025%
solution for 5-6 hours.
Leaf spot: caused by Cercospora or Alternaria it caused the
symptoms like brown cercospora/black(Alternaria) circular
spots on leaves resulting in defoliation and yield loss it can
be controlled by the spray Zeneb 2g/L.
Leaf crul: caused by Nicotiana virus and treatmente by
Aphids it can be identified by small sized , dark green brittle
leaves with downwardcruling Applying 10%phorate
granules at 10kg/ha to the soil or spraying Metasystox at
1ml/L. can control the disease.
Leaf roller and capsule borer: Deadly pest of sesamum its
green caterpillars feed on top leaves and bore the young
capsule and eat developing seeds . Early attack can kill the
intire plant , this pest is common in late sown crops spray of
dimethoate at 1.25ml/L after one month of sowing at
flowering and after 15 days after second spray can control
the pest.
Jassids:
they suck the sap from the leaves and resulting into
malformation of inflorences and reduce the yield, the leaves
may drop it can be controlled by spray of the malathion.
Bihar hairy caterpillar: it is serious pest extensive damages
to the crop ,all part of the plant are eaten except the stem.
The caterpillars are active in all stages of growth it can be
controlled by the spray of quinalphos at 1.25ml/L.
PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES LAND PREPARATION
Deep ploughing by MB plough folowed by two harrowing
and application of manure 3 -4 t/ha and final leveling as
seeds are minute fine seedbed is necessary to be prepared.
Sowing: many times farmers broadcasting the seeds, which
results in very poor yields due to weed competition and
difficulty in intercultivation . It is preferred to sow the crop
in rows of 30x10 or 45x15 cm depending on the variety ,
duration of crop , rianfall pattern and soil fertility, for row
sowing the seed requirement varies from 3kg to 4 kg /ha
while broadcasting needs 6kg /ha.
Fertilisers: fertilisers providing 30 – 40 kg N/ha , 15 – 40 kg
P2O5/ha is necessary for basal dose time of sowing.
Generally the crop does not receive potassium, after care
the crop is given two intercultivation 15/35 DAS to control
Harvesting and yield:
the crop may mature after 80 – 150 days depending the
variety and season , the stage of harvesting is indicated by
yellowing of leaves , stem , and capsules .
QUALITY PARAMETERS: sesamum oils is well known for high
stability under room temperature as well as varying
temperature due to its contents like sesamin up to 0.6% and
sesamol. Sesamum is known as queen of oil seeds because
of higher content of poly unsaturated fatty acid PUFA it is
also rich in antioxident vitamin E presence of sesamin and
sesamol its keeping quality under open condition sesame oil
is also rich sulfur and containing amino acid, and 30%
protein also 50% oil
ANTI NUTRITIONAL FACTORS: some people are allergic to
the due use of sesame oil. Which may develop many allergic
reactions including amaphylaxis.