Sesame As a New Crop for the Southeast: Agronomic Production in North Florida.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is a broadleaf summer crop with large economic potential nationally and internationally.  Historically, sesame was exclusively produced in the southwestern U.S., centered in Texas and Oklahoma.  However, due to the devastating droughts in the past decade in that region, sesame production has been expanding into alternative U.S. regions.  There has been particular interest in the southeast, where yields can reach economically sustainable levels relying solely on precipitation or reduced rates of irrigation.  Research in 2011 was initiated to determine if sesame could be grown in the region and what agronomic practices would results in optimal yields.  Several projects have been ongoing since that year in two north central Florida locations – Citra and Live Oak, FL.  Separate trials at these locations have examined planting date, row spacing, variety, and irrigation rates; and within projects, several physiological objectives have been focused on including quantifying phenology, rooting architecture, and cultivar performance.  In particular, the crop performed equally well in drill row spacings of 19 and 38 cm in both locations.  Yields were found to be optimal at mid to late May planting dates.  Commercial and breeding line cultivars were evaluated for yield and rooting architecture with some of the top yield levels reached by S36, S34, S30, and S39, with yields ranging from 1,219 (S30) to 1,733 (S39) kg/ha in 2013.  In Citra trials, rooting depth frequently reached a 91 cm depth by 40 days after planting, and informal root collections from a soil pit indicated that roots were present even at a depth of 2.7 m.  During the past four growing seasons, trial results clearly indicate sesame has production potential in the southeast but ongoing research is imperative as commercial production acreage in north central FL has increased from 400 ha in 2013 to over 2,500 ha in 2014.