Progress in Mechanizing Sesame in the US Through Breeding

OVERVIEW Sesame (Sesamum indicum L. Pedaliaceae) is one of the oldest crops known to humans. There are archeological remnants of sesame dating to 5,500 BP in the Harappa valley in the Indian subcontinent (Bedigian and Harlan 1986). Assyrian tablets from 4,300 BP in a British museum describe how before the gods battled to restore order to the universe, they ate bread and drank sesame wine together (Weiss 1971). Most people remember the words “Open sesame” from Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves used to open a cave full of riches. It is similar to the sesame capsules in that their opening produced great riches. Sesame was a major oilseed in the ancient world because of its ease of extraction, its great stability, and its drought resistance. In India today, almost as in olden days, a farmer can take his crop to an expeller that consists of grinding mortar and pestle stones driven by a bullock. He can place the oil in a vessel, take it back to his home and have cooking oil for a year without the oil going rancid (S.S. Rajan, pers. commun.). The origins of sesame are still debated. Kobayashi (1986) suggested that sesame originated in Africa, but Bedigian et al. (1985) concluded that sesame originated on the Indian subcontinent. Ashri (1998) felt that settling the debate on the origin of sesame will require more detailed cytogenetic and suitable DNA comparisons. From whatever origin, sesame spread into Africa, the Mediterranean and into the Far East. In the Middle East a tremendous amount of sesame is consumed as tahini (sesame butter or sesame paste). Tahini mixed with ground chickpea kernels becomes hummus. In China, Japan, and Korea, sesame is used widely as a cooking oil, and it is consumed for its medicinal qualities. In these countries, grandmothers advise, “Eat sesame for health.” (M. Namiki, T. Osawa, C.W. Kang, pers. commun.). In recent years the Japanese have been identifying and quantifying the medicinal benefits of sesame. In vitro and animal studies have verified several antioxidant properties (Namiki 1995), and initial unpublished results in human studies further verify that stories passed down through generations have merit (M. Namiki, pers. commun.). In the West, sesame is primarily used in the confectionary trade in rolls and crackers. Throughout the world, sesame seeds or paste are mixed into sweets, esp. halva. Sesame oil use in the cosmetic industry continues to expand. In India sesame is used in many religious ceremonies (Joshi 1961). There are many publications that provide an overview of sesame and breeding strategies, and most of that information will not be repeated in this paper. D.G. Langham and Rodriguez (1945) provided much of the initial thinking on mechanization. Weiss (1971, 1983, 2000) provided a good introduction to sesame; the latter two publications have more recent information, but the 1971 publication is longer and has more detail that is still pertinent. Ashri (1998) summarized most of the recent breeding and genetics work and includes information from the discussions at many FAO, IAEA, and IDRC sesame conferences. Beech (1985) and Beech and Imrie (2001) have been working on introducing sesame in Australia and their discussions on his ideal plant type are very relevant to cultivar development in general whether it be for manual or mechanized harvest. Mazzani (1999) reviewed many of the aspects of the Venezuelan sesame development program. The present paper will provide some updated information and will primarily address the characters that are important in the machine/plant interface as elucidated in the extensive breeding program of Sesaco Corporation (San Antonio, Texas).