Patent ID: 8656692

Claim:
A method for mechanical harvesting of sesame crops via a machine adapted for harvesting, threshing and cleaning of grain crops, comprising: (a) growing a sesame crop from sesame seed derived from sesame plants exhibiting improved non-dehiscent (IND) characteristics, including: (1) said improved non-dehiscent characteristic in sesame being that greater than or equal to 85% of the capsules retain essentially all of their seed in unharvested capsules four weeks after the ideal harvest time with said ideal harvest time being at the end of the late drydown stage when said dried sesame crop has a seed moisture content from 4% to 8% after sesame crop has reached physiological maturity, said maturity being when plants have reached full natural growth such that seed capsules begin to dry, (2) said improved non-dehiscent characteristic being that seed is visible in 85% or more of the capsules four weeks after the ideal harvest time, (3) said improved non-dehiscent characteristic being that less than or equal to 10% of the total amount of sesame seed is retained in mechanically harvested capsules, and (4) said improved non-dehiscent characteristic being that less than or equal to 7% of the total amount of sesame seed released from capsules is broken during mechanical harvesting; (b) drying said sesame crop in the field to form a dried sesame crop on and after the ideal harvest time; and (c) harvesting said dried sesame crop at the actual harvest time, which is at a time period later than the ideal harvest time.