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Primary Uses: |
Oil |
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Planting: |
Seed do not germinate well when soil
temperatures are below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. A good rule of
thumb is not to plant until at least a month after the last killing
frost in the spring. However, soil temperature is a better indicator
of when to plant. For good germination plant after the soil
temperature at the eight inch depth at 8:00 a.m. averages 68 degrees
Fahrenheit for ten days. |
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Seeding Rate: |
The sesame seed is planted from 0.75 to
1.5 inches deep. A planting rate of 3 pounds per acre (25-35 seeds
per foot) is recommended for sesame planted on a 40 inch row
spacing. |
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Fertility: |
Sesame will require approximately 40 to
80 pounds of nitrogen per acre on irrigated production and 25 to 60
pounds of nitrogen per acre on dryland production. Apply
phosphorus and potash according to soil test. |
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Insects: |
Green peach aphid, (cotton aphid does
not affect sesame), thrips, grasshoppers, cutworms, and white fly
are the most common insects attacking sesame. |
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Diseases: |
Bacterial leaf spot is most likely to
cause trouble. Fusarium wilt can be a serious problem in South Texas
on fields previously planted in sesame. The current sesame varieties
have tolerance to Fusarium. Farmers have planted sesame on fields
with serious cotton root rot problems and never seen the problem.
However, there is a root rot (Phytophtora parasitica) that
does attack sesame. Verticillium wilt also attacks sesame. |
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Harvest: |
Sesame is ready for harvest when the
stalk dries down where it will be cut. For best yields, sesame must
be harvested as soon as the crop is ready. The present shatter
resistance varieties of sesame will hold the seed through 6 weeks of
rain. |
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Comments: |
Some sesame varieties are grey or brown
in color and a specialized sesame, black in color, is sold in Japan,
Korea, China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar. The black seed coat
color is important since the color can bleed into the seed and the
dehulling process will not remove the color. TCS |
