Sesame is an ancient oilseed, first recorded as a crop in Babylon and Assyria over 4,000 years ago.

The crop has since spread from the Fertile Crescent of the Ancient Near ast to be gro!n in many parts of the !orld on over " million acres. The biggest area of prod#ction is c#rrently believed to be $ndia, b#t the crop is also gro!n in China, %orea, &#ssia, T#r'ey, (e)ico, So#th America and several co#ntries in Africa. *.S. commercial prod#ction reportedly began in the +,"0s. Acreage in the *.S., primarily in Te)as and so#th!estern states, has ranged from +0,000 to -0,000 acres in recent years. ho!ever, the *.S. imports more sesame than !e gro!. $t !o#ld ta'e at least +00,000 acres of sesame in the *.S. /#st to meet domestic demand, and prod#ction on more acres co#ld be e)ported. Thomas 0efferson recogni1ed the potential of sesame !hen he gre! it in test plots 2he referred to it as beni or benne3, b#t -00 years later !e have done little to develop this crop in the *.S. Sesame seeds are #n#s#ally high in oil, aro#nd "04 of the seed !eight, compared to -04 seed oil in soybeans. Sesame is a fairly high val#e food crop, being harvested both for !hole seed #sed in ba'ing, and for the coo'ing oil e)tracted from the seed. This !arm season ann#al crop is primarily adapted to areas !ith long gro!ing seasons and !ell drained soils. $t is considered dro#ght tolerant, b#t needs good soil moist#re to get established. Sesame has been researched e)tensively in (isso#ri and seems to be !ell adapted to o#r gro!ing conditions. Bac' to top Plant Description Sesame 5Sesam#m indic#m 26.37 is a broadleaf plant that gro!s abo#t " to 8 feet tall, !ith height dependent on the variety and gro!ing conditions. 6arge, !hite, bell9shaped flo!ers, each abo#t an inch long, appear from leaf a)ils on the lo!er stem, then grad#ally appear #p the stem over a period of !ee's as the stem 'eeps elongating. :epending on the variety, either one or three seed caps#les !ill develop at each leaf a)il. Seed caps#les are + to + +;- inches long, !ith < ro!s of seeds in each caps#le. Some varieties are branched, !hile others are #nbranched. The light colored seeds are small and flat, !ith a point on one end. Seed si1e varies, b#t one report indicates that sesame has ro#ghly +",000 seeds per po#nd. Since the flo!ering occ#rs in an indeterminate fashion, seed caps#les on the lo!er stem are ripening !hile the #pper stem is still flo!ering. The lo!est flo!ers on a stem may not develop into pods, b#t pods !ill generally begin +- to -4 inches off the gro#nd and contin#e to the top of the stem. Sesame is a long season crop, ta'ing abo#t +-" to +=" days from planting to mat#rity in (isso#ri. $f planted in early 0#ne, leaf drop !ill #s#ally occ#r in early >ctober, and the stem !ill begin drying do!n. ?lants stand #pright reasonably !ell !ith st#rdy stems, b#t strong !inds can force the plant into a leaning position late in the season. Bac' to top Utilization The primary mar'et for sesame in the *.S. is #se in a variety of ba'ed goods and confections. The taste of sesame differs among varieties, and can be negatively affected by poor post9harvest processing and storage. ?art of the attraction of sesame for ba'ing is #ndo#btably its high fat 2"04 oil3 and high protein content 2#p to -"4 protein by !eight3. Sesame oil carries a premi#m relative to other coo'ing oils and is considered more stable than most vegetable oils d#e to antio)idants in the oil. After the oil is e)tracted from the seed, the remaining meal is a high protein material s#itable for feeding to livestoc'. Altho#gh at this time sesame oil is #sed almost e)cl#sively for h#man food cons#mption, it has potential for a variety of ind#strial #ses, as do most vegetable oils. Bac' to top Markets and Economics Sesame benefits from both a high price and a strong domestic mar'et. Contract price is generally @0.-0 to @0.-- per po#nd or more for conventionally gro!n sesame, !ith significantly higher prices for organic sesame. This high price, ro#ghly do#ble that of s#nflo!ers or soybeans, is offset by the relatively lo! yields of sesame. Typical test plot yields in (isso#ri d#ring +,,-9+,,4 !ere <00 to +000 po#nds per acre, !ith ma)im#m yields of +-00 po#nds on small research plots. Th#s, gross ret#rn for sesame !ill be in the ballpar' of @-00 per acre. ?rod#ction costs are modest, being eA#al to or less than soybeans or sorgh#m. Seed costs are similar to conventional crops. The cost savings from not #sing herbicides 2none are labeled for sesame3 is partially offset by e)tra tillage for !eed control. Fertili1er costs are primarily for nitrogen, !hich can be met thro#gh organic so#rces. Barvest costs sho#ld be similar to other grains, b#t transportation to mar'et !ill be an e)tra e)pense since delivery points are c#rrently o#tside of (isso#ri. (ost of the farmers gro!ing sesame #nder contract are !or'ing !ith the Sesaco Corporation, a private company based in Te)as +9<009"-C9+0-4 or !!!.sesaco.net3. Sesaco provides their o!n e)cl#sive varieties 2available only to contract prod#cers3, and does the processing and mar'eting of the seed and oil. (isso#ri prod#cers co#ld potentially mar'et their sesame directly to food bro'ers or processors, b#t may have tro#ble obtaining good A#ality varieties to plant, since Sesaco Corporation is the only gro#p actively developing and distrib#ting seed in the *.S. at this time. $ndependent food bro'ers may be #n!illing to contract for sesame in advance of planting. planting sesame !itho#t a contract in hand is a ris'y proposition. ?rod#cers interested in sesame are enco#raged to !or' o#t their mar'eting in advance of planting the crop.

Bac' to top How to Grow Sesame Sesame !ill perform best on fertile and !ell9drained soils, s#ch as silt loams. $t is adapted to sandy loam soils, provided there is adeA#ate moist#re d#ring seedling establishment. $t has been gro!n satisfactorily on silty clay loam soils, b#t soil cr#sting can be a problem in establishing sesame !hen clay content is higher. Sesame is not adapted to poorly drained soils, and !ill not tolerate !ater logged conditions. Soils close to a ne#tral pB of C.0 are recommended. Sesame can fit !ell !ith other s#mmer ann#als in a crop rotation, b#t may be sensitive to some soil persistent herbicides. Sesame reportedly can provide some improvement in soil tilth or str#ct#re d#e to e)tensive rooting. Bac' to top Variety Selection and Seed Sources The only significant so#rce of sesame varieties and seeds c#rrently in the *.S. is the Sesaco Corporation 2+9<009 "-C9+0-43. Their plant breeder has developed several varieties. very year or t!o they #pdate the variety or varieties recommended to their contract prod#cers. A fe! p#blic varieties of sesame !ere released decades ago b#t are no longer available. >ccasionally, specialty seed ho#ses !ill have some sesame available in garden9si1ed pac'ets, of #nregistered varieties that are probably not good agronomic performers 2for e)ample, Seeds of Change, Ne! (e)ico, phone <<<9C8-9C===, sells small pac'ets of sesame by mail order3. Bac' to top Planting ?lanting sesame is the most critical phase of its management. S#ccessf#l establishment of sesame reA#ires caref#l seedbed preparation and close attention to soil moist#re. Sesame !ill not emerge from soils that are even slightly cr#sted and needs fairly !arm soil temperat#res of C0DF. or more. $n Te)as, gro!ers are told to pre9irrigate their sandy loam soils to obtain Ebright moist#reE in the seed 1one. $rrigating the crop #p after planting is often #ns#ccessf#l beca#se of the !ea'ness of sesame seedlings in brea'ing thro#gh even a thin soil cr#st. $tFs best to plant into moist soil. Sesame m#st also be planted shallo!, preferably +;-E deep, !hich ma'es getting into moist#re diffic#lt. &idge till planting !o#ld probably be effective, since scraping off the ridge top !ith a ridge till planter !o#ld e)pose moist soil. $n previo#s !or' !ith sesame in (isso#ri, the best res#lts !ere obtained by preparing a seedbed, !aiting for rain, then planting as soon as the soil is able to be !or'ed. This final passage sho#ld leave a fine te)t#red soil so that a consistent shallo! planting depth can be obtained. ?lanting close to 0#ne + is recommended in (isso#ri. Soil temperat#res may be too cool earlier, and sesame planted after 0#ne +" may not mat#re before frost. By planting aro#nd 0#ne +, there is still time to replant if necessary. A planting rate of - to = po#nds per acre is recommended. A precise rate is not critical, since sesame !ill self9thin and compensate for differences in plant pop#lation, similar to soybeans. $n =0E ro!s, any!here from 8 to +< seedlings per foot of ro! is #s#ally appropriate. At mat#rity, a plant pop#lation of 4 to < plants per foot is a good target. Altho#gh ro! spacings of +"E or less have sho!n some yield advantage over !ide ro!s, planting in =0E ro!s is recommended in (isso#ri to allo! for ro! crop c#ltivation. $n Te)as, =8E ro!s are typically #sed to allo! a ro! crop header to be #sed for harvest. Since seeding rate is lo!, an insecticide bo) on a ro! crop planter co#ld be #sed to meter o#t the seed. Sesame !as planted no9till follo!ing cover crops in one (isso#ri st#dy. The system proved feasible, b#t more diffic#lt than #sing tillage to prepare a fine seedbed. The advantage of planting after cover crops !o#ld be to help !ith !eed control, and in the case of leg#me covers, to s#pply nitrogen to the sesame. No9till does offer the advantage of having better moist#re at the soil s#rface, d#e to the s#rface resid#e red#cing evaporation. ho!ever, this advantage is offset by the diffic#lty of trying to plant a small seeded crop at a consistent shallo! depth thro#gh plant resid#e. Bac' to top Fertility 6i'e most alternative crops, sesameGs fertility needs are modest. Nitrogen sho#ld be s#pplied at "0 to <0 po#nds per acre, !ith the lo!er fig#re for sit#ations !here the sesame follo!s soybeans or another leg#me in the rotation. SesameGs nitrogen reA#irement can be f#lfilled thro#gh organic so#rces, s#ch as leg#mino#s cover crops or animal man#re. ?hosphoro#s and potassi#m needs are not 'no!n e)actly, b#t sho#ld be comparable to soybeans or sorgh#m. $f soils are acidic, pB sho#ld be bro#ght #p thro#gh liming. Bac' to top Pest Management

Weeds No herbicides are c#rrently labeled for #se on sesame, altho#gh it is possible that a temporary herbicide #se co#ld be allo!ed #nder a temporary state registration. Heed control is #s#ally achieved the old9fashioned !ay, thro#gh pre9plant tillage and #sing a ro! crop c#ltivator once or t!ice after the crop has become established. Care sho#ld be given !ith pre9plant tillage to maintain soil moist#re. Insects Sesame has been gro!n at several locations in (isso#ri d#ring five field seasons, !ith no noticeable insect damage to leaves or seed caps#les. $n fact, sesame has seemed almost #niA#ely distastef#l to many leaf che!ing insects. $n other regions, ho!ever, sesame has been attac'ed on occasion by insects. $nsects co#ld be a problem for sesame in (isso#ri is by serving as disease vectors. Aphids or !hiteflies co#ld introd#ce a vir#s to sesame field plots. $nsecticides are available for sesame, b#t sho#ld be applied only after sco#ting. $n most instances, there is probably not an economic benefit from spraying. Diseases :iseases have been reported in sesame gro!n in other parts of the !orld, b#t have not yet been a problem in (isso#ri. ?robably the greatest threat is the soil pathogens that can attac' and 'ill seedlings in cool, !et conditions, creating the damping off symptoms. *sing a t!o or three year crop rotation !ith sesame can help avoid disease problems that co#ld event#ally develop. Bac' to top Harvest and Storage :ry do!n of sesame plants prior to harvest can seem slo! relative to a crop li'e soybeans. Hhen planted in early 0#ne, sesame !ill normally drop its leaves and begin drying do!n in early >ctober, b#t it can ta'e a !hile for the last of the green to disappear from the stem and #pper seed caps#les. To deal !ith the indeterminate nat#re of the crop, some farmers have !indro!ed it. Iiven the potential of fall rains in (isso#ri, ho!ever, it is probably better to plan on direct combining the crop. Barvest sho#ld be done before frost if at all possible, beca#se frost can damage the appearance of the seed 2important for !hole seed confectionery #se3 and sometimes the A#ality of the seed. Sesame can be combined #sing an all crop reel head or a ro! crop header, s#ch as a soybean ro! header. Air speed and cylinder speed sho#ld be lo!ered. A bottom screen or sieve !ith a +;<E hole si1e is recommended by the Sesaco Corporation to their gro!ers. Since seed si1e is small, holes in combines or tr#c's may need to be sealed !ith d#ct tape. Since sesame is a small flat seed, it is diffic#lt to move m#ch air thro#gh it in a storage bin. Therefore, it is recommended that the seed be harvested as dry as possible, and stored at a moist#re of 84 or less. $f the seed is too moist, it can A#ic'ly heat #p and become rancid. Freshly harvested seed above 84 sho#ld not be left sitting on a tr#c' for long to avoid spoilage. $dle tr#c's !ith sesame on board sho#ld generally not be tarped on a s#nny day, since the tarp can increase heat b#ild#p. Sesame grain is sold on a !eight basis rather than a b#shel basis. No mar'et classes have been established, b#t doc'age !ill be charged by Sesaco Corporation for foreign material, bro'en seed, or moist#re above 84.