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 East to be grown in many parts of the world on over 5 million acres.
The biggest area of production is currently believed to be India, but the crop is also grown in China, Korea, Russia, Turkey, Mexico, South America and several countries in Africa. U.S. commercial production reportedly began in the 1950s.
Acreage in the U.S., primarily in Texas and south-western states, has ranged from 10,000 to 20,000 acres in recent years; however, the U.S. imports more sesame than we grow.
It would take at least 100,000 acres of sesame in the U.S. just to meet domestic demand, and production on more acres could be exported. Thomas Jefferson recognized the potential of sesame when he grew it in test plots (he referred to it as beni or benne), but 200 years later we have done little to develop this crop in the U.S.
Sesame seeds are unusually high in oil, around 50% of the seed weight, compared to 20% seed oil in soybeans. Sesame is a fairly high value food crop, being harvested both for whole seed used in baking, and for the cooking oil extracted from the seed. This warm season annual crop is primarily adapted to areas with long growing seasons and well drained soils.
It is considered drought tolerant, but needs good soil moisture to get established. Sesame has been researched extensively in Missouri and seems to be well adapted to our growing conditions.
Plant Description
Sesame [Sesamum indicum (L.)] is a broadleaf plant that grows about 5 to 6 feet tall, with height dependent on the variety and growing conditions. Large, white, bell-shaped flowers, each about an inch long, appear from leaf axils on the lower stem, then gradually appear up the stem over a period of weeks as the stem keeps elongating.
Depending on the variety, either one or three seed capsules will develop at each leaf axil. Seed capsules are 1 to 1 ½ inches long, with 8 rows of seeds in each capsule. Some varieties are branched, while others are unbranched.
The light coloured seeds are small and flat, with a point on one end. Seed size varies, but one report indicates that sesame has roughly 15,000 seeds per pound. Since the flowering occurs in an indeterminate fashion, seed capsules on the lower stem are ripening while the upper stem is still flowering.
The lowest flowers on a stem may not develop into pods, but pods will generally begin 12 to 24 inches off the ground and continue to the top of the stem.
Sesame is a long season crop, taking about 125 to 135 days from planting to maturity in Missouri.
If planted in early June, leaf drop will usually occur in early October, and the stem will begin drying down.
Plants stand upright reasonably well with sturdy stems, but strong winds can force the plant into a leaning position late in the season.
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