Background

Sesame (Sesamum indicum), an ancient oilseed, is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. This warm-season annual crop is primarily adapted to areas with long growing seasons and well-drained soils and has spread from its center or origin in Iraq to many parts of the world.

Historical documentation suggests that Thomas Jefferson grew sesame seed in test plots more than 200 years ago. He referred to it as beni or benne, the name used in Africa. Sesame was introduced to the United States in the 1930s. The first U.S. commercial production began in the 1950s.  August 2011 ... Sesame


Links

• American Sesame Growers Association, Texas - Organized in 2006, this association promotes the marketing, processing and use of U.S. grown sesame in both domestic and export markets.
• Benne (Sesame Seed), Seedland, Wildlifeseeds.com - This annual herb produces large amounts of oily seeds that are loved by all game birds. Benne is planted at the rate of 5 to 7 pounds per acre and takes 90 to 120 days to mature.
• Crop Profile for Sesame in the United States, Virtual Center for IPM (CIPM), Raleigh, North Carolina, 2000.
• Durkee, Ankeny, Iowa - Example of a U.S. retailer and wholesaler and their prices for various quantities of seed.
• Field Guide to Non-chemical Pest Management in Sesame Production, Pesticide Action Network (PAN), Germany, Online Information Service for Non-chemical Pest Management in the Tropics, 2007.
• Food, Industrial, Nutraceutical, and Pharmaceutical Uses of Sesame Genetic Resources, Trends in New Crops and New Uses, 2002.
• Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS), Foreign Ag Service (FAS), USDA, 2010.
• Overview of the Nigerian Sesame Industry, Chemonics International Inc. and U.S. AID, 2002.
• Seeds of Change, Santa Fe, New Mexico - Sells small packets of certified organic sesame by mail order. All of their seeds and plants are certified organic, open-pollinated, non-GMO, chemical free (nurseries) and grown by producer-member farms.
• Sesaco, San Antonio, Texas - Established in 1978, this corporation is currently the only significant source of sesame varieties and seeds in the United States.
• Sesame, Alternate Field Crops Manual, University of Wisconsin/University of Minnesota or University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service, 1990.
• Sesame: A High-Value Oilseed, Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute, Columbia, Missouri - Historical sesame production.
• Sesame Production in Texas, San Angelo Research Farm, Texas A&M Extension, 2007 - Sesame production and Texas sesame industry contact information.
• Sesame Seed, Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries, Australia, 1995 - Production handbook by Mal Bennet.
• Southwest Sesame Grower’s Pamphlet, Sesaco Corporation, 2006.
• Spice Barn, Powell, Ohio - Example of a U.S. retailer and U.S. retail prices for small quantities of seed.
• World Crop Report (includes sesame), FAO, UN.

Links checked June 2011.