Sesame (‘Rasi’ in Odia) is the oldest indigenous oilseed crop, with the longest history of cultivation in India. The crop is cultivated in almost all the districts of Odisha in Kharif (rainfed), pre-rabi (using the residual moisture) and summer (irrigated). Sesame seed contains 50% oil, 25% protein and 15% carbohydrate and it is an integral part of rituals, religion and culture. Sesame oil and foods fried in sesame oil have a long shelf life because the oil contains an antioxidant called sesamol. The oil can be used in the manufacture of soaps, paints, perfumes, pharmaceuticals and insecticides. Sesame meal is an excellent high-quality protein (40%)feed for poultry and livestock.
Soils:
- Sesame can be grown on a wide range of soils, however, well-drained light to medium textured soils are preferred. It does best on sandy loams with adequate soil moisture.
- The optimum pH range is 5.5 to 8.0 and acidic or alkaline soils are not suitable.
- Heavy clay soil or irrigation water containing high concentrations of salt badly affect sesame productivity.
Varieties:
| Variety | Duration (days) | Av.yield (q/ha) | Oil content (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nirmala(OS-Sel-164) | 88 | 7.0 | 45 |
| Prachi (ORM 17) | 90 | 7.5 | 45 |
| Smarak (OSC 560) | 80 | 12.0 | 50 |
| Subhra(QSC 207) | 85 | 9.0 | 52 |
| Vinayak | 80 | 6.0 | 48 |
| Kanaka | 80 | 8.0 | 47 |
| Kalika | 80 | 8.0 | 49 |
| Usha | 75 | 12.0 | 49 |
| Uma | 70 | 10.0 | 53 |
Land Preparation:
One or two ploughings followed by harrowing are recommended for pulverization and fine tilth required for good germination and plant stand. Keep the field weed-free and perfectly leveled to avoid water logging to which sesame is highly sensitive.
Seed Treatment:
For the prevention of seed-borne diseases, use treated seed with Trichoderma spp. 5-10 gms/kg of seed. Wherever, bacterial leaf spot disease is a problem, soak the seeds for 30 minutes in 0.025% solution of Agrimycian-100 before seeding.
Seed rate:
A seed rate of 7 – 10 kg/ha is needed to achieve the required plant stand. Wherever seed drill is used, the seed rate may be reduced to 3 to 5 kg/ha. For easy intercultural practices and to realize higher yield, it is recommended to adopt line sowing.
Sowing method:
- Pre-rabi sowing should be completed between September-October and summer crop from February to 1st week of March
- Manually broadcasting or drilling or mechanically by hand-operated seeder.
- The row to row spacing is 35 cm and plant to plant spacing is 10 cm
- Planting depth depending upon soil type and variety(3-5cm)
Fertilizer management:
- Apply 5 t/ha well-decomposed FYM before the last plowing and incorporate it thoroughly into the soil.
- The dose of fertilizer would, however, vary depending on the variety, season, soil fertility status, previous crop, rainfall and soil moisture.
- Required fertilizers in sesame are Nitrogen 30 kg/ha, Phosphorus 15 kg/ha and Potash 15 kg/ha
Water Management:
- During the rabi-summer session, it is recommended to give the irrigation, immediately after sowing to improve germination and plant establishment
- Critical stages of irrigation are 4-5 leaf stage, flowering and pod formation
- Irrigation at shorter intervals (12-15 days’ interval) helps achieve better yield
- Irrigation should be managed depending on soil type, weather condition and season
Weed Control:
- The critical crop weed competition period in sesame is 20 – 40 DAS. The crop is very sensitive to weed competition during this period and requires effective control.
- Two weddings, one after 15-20 days of sowing and other at 30-35 days after sowing are required to keep the field weed-free and for moisture and nutrients available to the crop.
- In case of labour shortage, pre-emergence herbicides Isoproturon 50% WP @ 1.6 kg /ha within 3 days of sowing can be applied for weed control during initial periods
Plant protection:
- Common pests and diseases in sesame are, leaf webber-cum-pod borer, gall fly, leaf curl disease, alternaria leaf blight, and phyllody disease
- Spray Profenophos 50% EC @ 2ml/lit or, Ethofenprox 10%EC @ 1ml/lit of water to control leaf webber-cum-pod borer
- For control of gall fly, preventive spray of Carbaryl50% WP @ 0.2gm/lit of water
- Folliar spray of Profenophos 50% EC @ 2 ml/lit to control phyllody
Harvesting and threshing:
The best time of harvesting is when the leaves turn yellow and start drooping while the bottom capsules are lemon yellow. Do not postpone harvesting and allow the crop to dry completely in the field because such practice leads to losses due to shattering. Usually, the crop is threshed by the gentle beating of well-dripped plants with sticks.
