Sesame, Northern Sesame Supergroup (Organic)

Sesamum indicum.  90-110 days.

Sesame is a heat loving plant that can be difficult to grow in areas with cool growing seasons, such as our location in Oregon. We are thrilled that the Northern Sesame Supergroup may be another step towards selecting a more successful sesame for our climate!  After several failed attempts wherein plants barely even started to flower – let alone set seed – our friends at the Dry Farming Institute let us in on a secret: The key to successful sesame crop in Oregon is (drumroll) Not watering it! Well, that, and starting with Northern-adapted germplasm. We sowed in flats in the greenhouse, then watered transplants for a couple of weeks until they were established. Then we cut the water. It was hard! They looked thirsty! But, even with droopy leaves, tubular flowers (reminiscent of tobacco or foxglove flowers) eventually formed. And then seedpods! Success! 

Plants grow to about 4’ tall in our growing conditions. Once they begin to flower, they flower until frost, so timing of harvest can be tricky. Fun fact: sesame seed pods are nearly impossible to open until they are ready. And then, magically, it’s open sesame! When pods open, seeds often shatter, so it’s recommended to harvest just before that point and after-ripen in a place where seeds can be collected. Sesame seed contains some of the highest oil content of any seed and was domesticated over 3,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest oilseed crops. It’s delicious and highly nutritious ground into paste (tahini), or simply sprinkled on your favorite dish.

The Northern Sesame Supergroup is the result of growing several USDA-GRIN accessions of Soviet and Afghan sesame (via our friends at the Dry Farming Institute), some from Massachusetts, and others from our friends at Peace Seedlings in Corvallis, Oregon. Not all accessions made seed for us but the ones that did, made it into the Supergroup. For more info on growing sesame, see USDA’s Sesame Plant Guide.