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This topic provides information about cultivation practices of Sesame.
Sesame

Contents

1. Season and climate

2. Cropping systems
3. Varieties
4. Soil
5. Seed rate
6. Sowing
7. Manuring
8. Interculture
9. Irrigation
10. Plant protection
11. Harvesting
12. Related resources

Sesame ( Sesamum indicum L.) is the oldest indigenous oilseed crop, with longest history of cultivation in India. Sesame or gingelly is commonly known as til
(Hindi, Punjabi, Assamese, Bengali, Marathi), tal (Gujarati), nuvvulu, manchi nuvvulu (Telugu), ellu (Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada), tila/pitratarpana (Sanskrit) and
rasi (Odia ) in different parts of India.

India ranks first in world with 19.47 Lakh ha area and 8.66 Lakh tonnes production. The average yield of sesame (413 kg/ha) in India is low as compared with
other countries in the world (535 kg / ha). The main reasons for low productivity of sesame are its rainfed cultivation in marginal and submarginal lands under poor
management and input starved conditions. However, improved varieties and agro production technologies capable of increasing the productivity levels of sesame
are now developed for different agro ecological situations in the country. A well managed crop of sesame can yield 1200 - 1500 kg/ha under irrigated and 800 -
1000 kg/ha under rainfed conditions.

The crop is grown in almost all parts of the country. More than 85% production of sesame comes from West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,
Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Season and climate

Sesame is grown in almost all the states in large or small areas. It can be cultivated up to the latitude of 1600m (India 1200 m). Sesame plant needs fairly high
temperature during its life cycle. Normally the optimum temperature required during its life cycle is between 25 - 35 degree C. If the temperature is more than 40
degree C with hot winds the oil content reduces. If the temperature goes beyond 45 degree C or less than 15 degree C there is a severe reduction in yield.

Season : Kharif in arid and semi-arid tropics and rabi/summer in cooler areas

Climate : Semi arid climate of Western India, Central, Eastern and Southern part of India including lower Himalayas

Cropping systems
State Crop Sequence

Andhra Pradesh Rice-Groundnut-Sesame, Sesame - Horsegram, Finger millet/Sorghum/Horsegram - Sesame, Sesame - Upland Rice

Bihar Early Rice - Potato-Summer Sesame/Green gram, Kharif Sesame-Maize/Pigeonpea/Chickpea, Wheat-Summer Sesame/Green gram

Gujarat Sesame-Wheat/Mustard

Karnataka Sesame-Horsegram/Chickpea

Madhya Pradesh Cotton-Sesame-Wheat, Rice -Summer Sesame, Sesame-Wheat

Maharashtra Sesame (Early)-Rabi Sorghum/Safflower, Cotton-Sesame-Wheat

Odisha Rice/Potato-Sesame, kharif Sesame-Maize/Pigeonpea/Chickpea

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Rajasthan Sesame-Wheat/Green gram/Barley

Tamil Nadu Rice/Groundnut-Sesame, Sesame-Black gram, Sesame-Rabi Sorghum, Sesame-Green gram, Cowpea-Sesame

Uttar Pradesh Sesame (Early)-Chickpea/Rapeseed & Mustard/Lentil/Pea

West Bengal Potato-Sesame (Late Jan./Early Feb), Rice – Sesame

Varieties
For upland cultivation use varieties with long duration of 100-110 days and for low land, use varieties with duration of 80-99 days.

Sesame varieties

State Variety Seed Colour

Gujarat Guj. Til-1, 2, 3 White seed

Guj. Til-10 Black seed

Madhya Pradesh TKG-21, 22, 55, 306, 308 and JTS – 8 White seed

PKDS-11, 12 Dark brown seed

PKDS-8 Bold black seeded

Rajasthan RT-46, 103, 125, 127, 346, 351 White seed

RT-54 Light brown seed

Maharashtra AKT-64 , AKT-101, JLT-408, PKVNT-11 White seed

Uttar Pradesh T-78, Sekhar White seed

Tamil Nadu TSS-6 White seed

Co-1, Paiyur-1, VRI-1, VRI-2, TMV-7 Black and Brown seed

West Bengal Rama, Savitri Brown seed

Odisha Nirmala, Shubhra White seed

Prachi, Amrit Brown / Black seed

Smarak Golden yellow and bold seed

Andhra Pradesh Varaha, Gautama, Chandana Brown seed

Swetha Til, Hima White seed

Karnataka DS-1 Dark brown seed

DSS-9 White bold seed

Soil
Sesame can be grown on a wide range of soils but well drained light to medium textured soils are preferred. The optimum pH range is 5.5 to 8.0, acidic or alkaline
soils are not suitable.

Seed rate
A seed rate of 5 kg/ha is adequate to achieve the required plant population.

Sowing
For prevention of seed borne diseases, use seed treated with Bavistin 2.0 g/kg seed. Wherever bacterial leaf spot disease is a problem, soak the seed for 30
minutes in 0.025% solution of Agrimycin-100 prior to seeding.

Preparation of land
Prepare the soil into a fine tilth by ploughing 2-4 times and breaking the clods. Broadcast seeds evenly. To facilitate easy seeding and even distribution seed is
mixed with either sand or dry soil or well sieved farm yard manure in 1:20 ratio. Work with harrow, followed by pressing with wooden plank so as to cover the seed
in the soil.

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Sowing Time and Spacing

State Season Sowing time Spacing (cm)

Andhra Pradesh/ Kharif Second fortnight of May 30 x 15

Coastal Telangana Summer Second fortnight of January 30 x 15

Kharif Second fortnight of July 30 x 10-15

Assam Kharif July-August 30 x 10-15

Bihar/ Jharkhand Kharif July 30 x 15

Gujarat Kharif Last week of June to second fortnight of July 45 x 10

Semi-rabi Mid September 45 x 10

Summer January-February 45 x 15

Karnataka

North Kharif June-July 30 x 15

South Early Kharif April-May 30 x 15

Kerala Kharif August 30 x 10-15

Summer December 30 x 15

Madhya Pradesh Kharif First week of July 30 x 10-15

/Chhattisgarh Semi-rabi Late August-Early September 30 x 15

Summer Second to last week of February 30 x 15

Maharashtra Kharif Second fortnight of June to July 30 x 15

Semi-rabi Early September 30 x 15

Summer February 45 x 15

Odisha Kharif June-July 30 x 15

Rabi September-October 30 x 15

Summer February 30 x 15

Punjab/ Haryana Kharif Second fortnight of July 30 x 10-15

Rajasthan Kharif Late June-Early July 30 x 15

Tamil Nadu Kharif Second fortnight of May to Second fortnight of June 22.5 x 22.5

Rabi November-December 22.5 x 22.5

Summer Second fortnight of January to March 30 x 10

Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand Kharif Second fortnight of July 30-45 x 15

West Bengal Summer February-March 30 x 15

Manuring
Apply cattle manure/compost as basal dressing and incorporate into the soil along with last ploughing. Apply fertilizers as basal dose when there is enough
moisture in the soil. Urea is preferable to ammonium sulphate. Nitrogen may be applied in split doses, 75 per cent as basal and the balance as foliar spray at 3
per cent concentration, 20-35 days after sowing keeping the discharge rate at 500 1 ha-1.

State/ Situation Recommended dose of N:P:K (kg/ha) Specific recommendation

Andhra Pradesh - Coastal region 40-40-20

Telangana -
30-30-20

Gujarat

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Kharif 30-25-0 Apply sulphur @ 20-40 kg/ha.

25-25-0

Semi-rabi 37.5-25-25 Half N + full P2O5 and K2O as basal, remaining half N at 30-35 DAS.

Madhya Pradesh /Chhattisgarh

Rainfed

Summer 40-30-20 Apply 25 kg/ha zinc sulphate once in three years in zinc deficient soils.

60-40-20

Maharashtra 50-0-0 Half N at 3 weeks after sowing and remaining half 6 weeks thereafter

Odisha 30-20-30 -

Rajasthan

Heavy soils 20-20-0 For areas with less than 350 mm rainfall

Light soils 40-25-0 For areas with more than 350mm rainfall

Tamil Nadu

Irrigated 35-23-23 Apply full dose of N, P2O5, K2O as basal.

Rainfed 25-15-15 Seed may be treated with Azospirillum.

Uttar Pradesh /Uttarakhand 20-10-0 -

West Bengal

Irrigated 50-25-25 No fertilizer if sown after potato.

Rainfed 25-13-13

Interculture
The crop is very sensitive to weed competition during the first 20-25 days. Two weeding, one after 15-20 days of sowing and other at 30-35 days after sowing are
required to keep the field weed free and to make moisture and nutrients available to the crop.

When the plants are about 15 cm in height, thin the crop so as to give a spacing of 15-25 cm between plants.

State-wise intercropping

State Intercropping System

Gujarat Sesame+Groundnut / Urd bean (3:3)

Sesame+Pearlmillet / Cotton (3:1)

Karnataka Sesame+Groundnut (1:4)

Madhya Pradesh Sesame+Green gram / Black gram (2:2 or 3:3)

Sesame+Soybean (2:1 or 2:2)

Maharastra Sesame+Pearlmillet / Black gram (3:1)

Odisha Sesame+ Summer Groundnut (2:3)

Sesame+Green gram/Black gram (2:2)

Rajasthan Sesame+Pearlmillet / Mothbean (1:1)

Tamil Nadu Sesame+Green gram / Black gram (3:3)

Sesame+Pigeonpea (3:1), Sesame+Groundnut (2:4)

Uttar Pradesh Sesame+Green gram (1:1), Sesame+ Pigeonpea (3:1)

West Bengal Sesame+ Groundnut (1:3 or 2:2)

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Irrigation
Usually the crop is grown under rainfed conditions. When facilities are available, the crop may be irrigated to field capacity after thinning
operation and thereafter at 15-20 days interval.
Stop irrigation just before the pods begin to mature. Surface irrigation at 3 cm depth during the critical stages, viz., 4-5 leaves, branching,
flowering and pod formation will increase the yield by 35-52 per cent.
Two irrigations of 3 cm depth each in the vegetative phase (4-5 leaf stage or branching) and in reproductive phase (at flowering or pod
formation) are the best, registering maximum yield and water use efficiency.
In the case of single irrigation, it can be best given in the reproductive phase.
In the tail end fields in command area, best use of the sparingly available water can be made for augmenting sesame production.

Plant protection
For control of leaf and pod caterpillar, remove affected leaves and shoots and dust with carbaryl 10 per cent.
Azadirachtin 0.03 per cent at 5 ml per litre spray at 7th and 20th DAS and thereafter need based application can manage the incidence of leaf
and pod caterpillar, pod borer infestation and phyllody incidence.
For control of gall fly, give preventive spray with 0.2 per cent carbaryl.
For control of leaf curl disease, remove and destroy disease affected sesame plants as well as the diseased collateral hosts like chilli, tomato
and zinnia.
Remove plants affected with phyllody and destroy them. Do not use seeds from affected plants for sowing.

Harvesting
Harvest the crop, when the leaves turn yellow and start drooping and the bottom capsules are lemon yellow by pulling out the plants. Harvest
during the morning hours.
Cut the root portion and stack the plants in bundles for 3-4 days when the leaves will fall off. Spread in the sun and beat with sticks to break
open the capsules.
Repeat this for 3 days. Preserve seeds collected during the first day for seed purposes. Clean and dry in sun for about 7 days before storing.

Storage of seeds

By keeping sesame seeds in polybags, tin bins, wooden receptacles or in earthen pots, the viability can be maintained for about one year.
Admixture of seeds with ash will drastically reduce germination.

Source : NMOOP

Related resources
1. District-wise Promising Technologies for Rainfed Sesame based Production System in India
2. Market profile of Sesame
3. AESA based IPM – Sesame

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