Sesame

Land Requirements Land to be used for seed production shall be free of volunteer plants In addtion, the soil of selected fields should be rich in organic matter, free of weeds, well-aerated and well-drained.  
Isolation Requirements

Sesame is mainly a self-pollinated crop, but some cross-pollination by insects occurs. Cross-pollination up to five per cent has been recorded. For pure seed production, the seed fields must be isolated from other sesame fields by hundred metres for foundation seed class and fifty metres for Certified seed class. (In Taxas, U.S.A different varieties of sesame are isolated at 180 to 360 metres.)

Cultural Practices

Time of Sowing First week of June to first week of July for kharif crops. In southern states it can be sown during rabi from mid-October to mid-November. For good germination the average temperatures should be between 25 to 27 C
  


Preparation of Land Prepare the field to good tilth. One deep ploughing and 2 to 3 harrowings followed by levelling are sufficient to prepare field to the desired tilth.


Source of Seed Obtain breeder's/foundation seeds from source approved by a seed certification agency.


Seed Rate 2.5 to 5.5kg per hectare.


Method of Sowing Seed crop must be sown in rows with the help of drill. The depth of seeding should be 2.5 to 3.5 cm.


Fertilisation This crop responds well to organic fertilisers. On low fertility lands apply 34 kg nitrogen, 17 kg phosphorus and 34 kg potash, per hectare. On fertile land the crop can be grown even without fertiliser, or apply 30 kg nitrogen and 20 kg phosphorus per hectare. It is desirable to meet these fertiliser needs through application of farm yard manure, or composit.


Spacing Row to row               30 to 45 cm
Plant to Plant              15 to 22 cm. 


Irrigation Irrigate the crop if prolonged periods of drought are experienced. Irrigation few days after sowing, (if soil moisture is less), when plants are 15 to 20 cm high and during flowering and maturation of seed are important for obtaining increased seed yields.


Interculture Two to three hoeings and weedings are necessary. The first hoeing should be done prior to irrigation, when the plants are 15 to 20 cm high. Subsequent hoeings may be done as perrequirements. For control of broadleaf weeds, spraying of simazin (1.40kg to 2.8 kg per hectare) has been found effective.


Insect and Disease Control Adopt recommended IPM methods


Roguing Removee offtype plants and diseased plants affected by rosette, phyllody and leaf spot blight from field, from time to time as required.


Harvesting and Threshing

The crop is ready for harvest when the plant turns yellow with capsul3es still green. The crop is hand-cut and stacked in bundles (12 to 14) by hand. These are piled incircular stacks on threshing floors with the root end outwards. For a week or more, the stacks are opened out and the bundles spread each day in the morning and collected and stacked again in the evening. When the plants are completely dried, threshing is done by shaking or beating the plants with sticks.


Seed Yield The average seed yield is about 2 to 6 qtl per hectare.