Sesame seed is considered to be the oldest crop among oilseeds known for humanity. The historic origin of sesame was favoured by its ability to grow in areas that do not support the growth of other crops. It is also a robust crop that needs little farming support—it grows in drought conditions, in high heat, with residual moisture in soil after monsoons are gone or even when rains fail or when rains are excessive. It was a crop that could be grown by subsistence farmers at the edge of deserts, where no other crops grow. Sesame has been called a survivor crop.
The sesame (Sesamum indicum) is actually a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. The plants are actually very beautiful with attractive dark-green leaves and have tubular flowers that can be of white or pale pink colour. The mature plants can grow between 3 and 6 feet tall (depending on the variety). The sesame is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world. And the sesame is mainly cultivated for it’s edible seeds, which grow in pods or buns. The Sesamum has many other species, most being wild and native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Sesame seed is one of the ancient oil seed crops domesticated well over and around 3000 years ago. It is one of the oilseed which has the highest oil content in oil seeds. The sesame seed oil has a rich, nutty flavour and it is a very common ingredient in cuisines across the world.
Also Read: How to Find the Best Quality Sesame Seeds?
The sesame is a tropical crop which requires hot climatic conditions during the growing period. Frost conditions, heavy rains or prolonged drought are not good for sesame cultivation. Extreme low and very high temperatures can effect the growth. The ideal temperature for growing sesame is between 25 °C and 35 °C.
The sesame seeds generally become ready for harvesting within 3-5 months after planting the seeds. But in most varieties, you can expect to harvest when the leaves, stems and capsules begin to turn yellow and the lower leaves of the plant start shedding. Don’t wait until the crop becomes dead ripe (because it will cause the shedding of the seeds). The ripe sesame plants should be cut at the ground level and should be stacked for 7 to 10 days in sun for making them ready for the threshing process.
India is one of the major exporters of a sesame seeds. Organic Products India, one of the leading and topmost organic products manufacturers in India. We manufacturer organic and conventional oilseed. We supply Organic Sesame seeds as well as conventional sesame seeds all over the world. There are many sesame exporters in India. Organic Products India and Veerral Agro Tech are the leading manufacturers of sesame seeds in India since many years.
