Divisi
How to grow Sesame
Sesamum indicum · Pedaliaceae
Photo: Joydeep · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sesame — also called simsim or benniseed — is a tough, upright oilseed that grows from knee to shoulder height and gives a seed that is about half oil. It is a survivor: it takes the heat and the dry spells that ruin softer crops, and it feeds lightly, so it earns money on poorer, sandier land where other crops struggle. But two habits rule everything you do. First, the seed is tiny — about a thousand seeds weigh only 3 grams — so it can only climb out of a fine, firm, shallow seedbed. Second, when the seed-pods (called capsules) ripen, they split open and spill the seed on their own. So the whole season comes down to two things: an even stand at the start, and cutting at exactly the right moment at the end. Get those two right and sesame pays you where tougher crops fail.
- Days to maturity
- 90–130 days
- Row spacing
- 37 cm
- Plant spacing in the row
- 7 cm
- Sowing depth
- 1.5–3 cm
These are general figures for the crop, compiled from published agronomic references including FAO and CABI. The right choice for your field depends on your soil, rainfall and the yield you are aiming for.
Will sesame actually do well on your land? Check your field against every crop in the catalogue — free, no signup. Run the free crop check →
Other names for Sesame
sesam · sesamsaad · selit · sesame · simsim · benniseed · sésame · ridi · gergelim · runinga · uninga · ufuta · eeku · isasa
Working in buckets, bags or paces? The farming glossary turns the measures growers actually use into kilograms and hectares — what a 20 litre bucket of each crop really weighs, and how to size a field by walking it — alongside the Shona, Swahili, Ndebele and Yoruba words used in the field. Open the glossary →
Growing sesame, stage by stage
Your sesame season, step by step — from a fine, firm seedbed and an even stand of dust-fine seed, through timely weeding, feeding and pulling out sick plants, to cutting and curing the crop before the capsules shatter and spill your seed.
- Choose your land and make a fine seedbed
- Sow and get an even stand
- Weed early and feed the crop
- Flowering — scout, rogue and water
- Fill the pods and watch for harvest
- Cut and stook before it shatters
- Cure, thresh and store
19 step-by-step tasks in the app
Every task for sesame — what to do, when to do it and why it matters — with the amounts worked out for your own field, reminders as each one falls due, and warnings before extreme weather.
Pests and diseases that attack sesame
2 more threats tracked in the app
Divisi tells you which of these is a risk on your sesame right now, when to walk the field looking for it, and what to do the moment you find it.
Frequently asked questions
How long does sesame take to grow?
Sesame takes about 90–130 days from sowing to maturity, though the exact length varies with variety, temperature and how the season runs.
What spacing should I use for sesame?
Space sesame rows about 37 cm apart, with roughly 7 cm between plants within the row.
How deep should sesame be planted?
Sow sesame at about 1.5–3 cm deep. Shallower risks drying out; deeper wastes seed energy before the shoot reaches light.
What pests and diseases attack sesame?
The ones covered in this guide are Charcoal rot, Leaf spot, Phyllody. Each has its own page explaining how to identify, scout for and control it.
Grow sesame with a plan, not a guess
Divisi turns this guide into a dated plan for your own field — what to do each week, reminders as tasks fall due, and warnings before extreme weather. Free for farmers, works offline.
Or check your field first