This document discusses sesame, an important oilseed crop. It provides details on the botany and taxonomy of sesame, including that it is an annual plant with white, violet or red flowers. It is mostly self-pollinating but can cross-pollinate up to 5%. Breeding objectives include higher yields, improved architecture, disease/pest resistance. Breeding methods discussed are conventional, mutation, and innovative techniques. Recommended varieties are provided for various Indian states. The JNKVV in Madhya Pradesh has developed several new sesame varieties through conventional breeding.

1. Dr. Pratibha Bisen
Dept. Plant Breeding & Genetics
College of Agriculture, Balaghat
JNKVV Jabalpur (M.P.)
Sesame

2. Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), thought to have originated in Africa, is
considered to be the oldest oilseed crop known to man .
Sesame seed is an important source of edible oil and is also widely used as a
spice.
The seed contains 50-60% oil which has excellent stability due to the presence of
natural antioxidants such as sesamolin, sesamin and sesamol.
After oil extraction, the remaining meal contains 35-50% protein, and is rich in
tryptophan and methionine.
Seeds with hulls are rich in calcium (1.3%) and provide a valuable source of
minerals.
Introduction

3. The U.S. is the largest importer of sesame, importing about 40,000 metric tons
per year mostly from Mexico.
Almost all sesame consumed in the U.S. is as a spice for food products such as
hamburger buns and other bakery goods.
Minor uses of sesame oil include pharmaceutical and skin care products and as
a synergist for insecticides .
Major development and differentiation of genus Sesamum has been
documented in Africa (about 30 species) .
These species have spread from African to Asian and South American
countries.

4. Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Lamiales
Family: Pedaliaceae
Genus: Sesamum
Species: S. Indicum
Binomial name Sesamum indicum
Chromosome No. 2n= 26
Taxonomical Classification

5. Botany
Sesame plant is an annual in habit, with indeterminate growth and possesses
diploid chromosome number of 2 n = 26.
Plants are erect to semi-erect depending on branching types; ovate to
lanceolate leaves with pointed apices, the leaf margins are entire to serrate,
and stem is round or square type.
Flowers range in size containing small sized tubular calyx and five-lobed
corollas and color, e.g., white, violet, red or maroon.
Corolla is campanulate having lower corolla lobe longer than the upper one
with one sterile and four functional epipetalous stamens.

6. Floral biology
Usually in sesame 1 to 2 flowers open at time on any inflorescence, while in
some types, about 3 to 4 flowers open at a time.
Flowering starts after 30-35 days after sowing and flowers starts open between 5
to 7 am, fade soon after mid day.
In the mature flowers buds, just before the flower open, the 4 unripe anthers are
much below the stigma which at this stage are not receptive.
The anthers began to burst longitudinally after 4 A.M. and liberate the pollen.
Sesame has bifid stigma it begin to separate and become receptive.
The stamens of sesame are at same level and another two stamens are at lower
level.
Sesame is a self pollinate crop but honeybees bring about some natural amount
of cross pollination.

8. Pollination systems
Sesame is a self pollinated crop with an average cross pollination of about 5%.
The amount of out crossing ranges from 0 to 50% depending upon the
pollinating insects and weather conditions.
The insects are the only agents where as wind plays no part for natural cross
pollination.
The seed quality deteriorates proportionate to the amount of out crossing and
can be minimized by maintaining proper isolation distance.
An isolation distance of 100 m is recommended for sesame

9. Breeding Objectives
There are various objectives for sesame breeding.
High seed yields
Superior plant architecture (ideotype)
Indehiscent capsules
Improved oil quality
Resistance to diseases and pests

10. Breeding Methods
Conventional Breeding
 Pure Line Selection
 Mass Selection
 Hybridization
Mutation Breeding
Innovative Breeding
 In Vitro Culture and Screening
 Somatic Hybridization
 Genetic Manipulation
 Marker-Assisted Selection

11. State wise recommended varieties
Gujarat :Gujarat Til-1, Gujarat Til-2, Gujarat Til-10, Gujarat Til-3
Madhya Pradesh :TKG-21, TKG-22, TKG-55, JTS-8, PKDS-11, PKDS-8,
PKDS-12, TKG-306, TKG-308
Chhattisgarh :TKG-21, TKG-22, Uma, RT-54, TKG-55, JTS-8
Rajasthan :RT-46, RT-54, RT-103, RT-125, RT-127, RT-346, RT- 351,
Maharashtra :Phule Til-1, Tapi, Padma, AKT-64, AKT-101, PKV-NT-11 ,JLT-
408
Uttar Pradesh :T-12, T-13, T-78, Sekhar, Pragati, Tarun
Tamil Nadu :TMV-3, TMV-4, TMV-5, TMV-6, CO-1, TSS-6, Paiyur-1, VRI-1,
VRI-2, TMV-7

12. West Bengal :Savitri, Rama
Orissa :Uma, Usha, Nirmala, Prachi, Amrit
Andhra Pradesh :Madhavi, Rajeshwari, Varaha, Gautama, Swetha,
Chandana, Hima, Sarada
Kerala :Kayamkulam-1, Thilak, Thilathara, Thilarani
Karnataka :DS-1, DSS-9
Punjab :Punjab Til-1, TC-25, TC-289
Bihar :B-67, Krishna

13. TKG-306 2006
JT 11 (PKDS-11) 2005
JT 12 (PKDS-12) 2008
JT 14 (PKDS-14) 2008
TKG-308 2008
Varieties of Sesame developed by JNKVV

14. REFERENCES
Armstrong, C.L., and R.L. Phillips. 1988. Genetic and cytogenetic variation in plants
regenerated from organogenic and friable, embryogenic tissue cultures of Maize. Crop
Sci. 28:363-369.
Ashri, A. 1987. Report on FAO/IAEA expert consultation on breeding improved
sesame cultivars. Hebrew University, Israel.
Brar, G.S. and K.L. Ahuja. 1979. Sesame: its culture, genetics, breeding and
biochemistry p. 245-313. In: Malik, C.P. (ed.). Annu. Rev. of Plant Sci. Kalyani
publishers, New Delhi.
Brigham, R.D. 1985. Status of sesame research and production in Texas and the
USA, p. 73-74. In: A. Ashri (ed.). Sesame and sallower: status and potentials. Publ. 66.
FAO, Rome.
Singh P. and Bisen P., Commercial Plant Breeding Astral International Pvt. Ltd. New
Delhi, 2020. ISBN 978-93-89605-28-0 (PB)