Editing Sesame (section)

=== Cultivation ===

Sesame varieties have adapted to many soil types. The high-yielding crops do best on fertile, well-drained, soils with a neutral pH. However, these have a low tolerance for soils with high salt and water-logged conditions. Commercial sesame crops require 90 to 120 frost-free days. Warm conditions above {{convert |23 |°C |°F}} favor growth and yields. While sesame crops can grow in poor soils, the best yields come from properly fertilized farms.<ref name="Oplinger Putnam 1990"/><ref name=Jefferson>{{cite web |title=Sesame: high value oilseed |publisher=Thomas Jefferson Agriculture Institute |year=2002 |url=http://www.extension.iastate.edu/alternativeag/cropproduction/pdf/sesame_crop_guide.pdf |access-date=2015-01-24 |archive-date=2023-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230312094714/https://www.extension.iastate.edu/alternativeag/cropproduction/pdf/sesame_crop_guide.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Flowering depends on photoperiod and cultivar. The photoperiod also affects the seed's oil content: increased photoperiod increases oil content. The oil content of the seed is inversely proportional to its protein content.<ref name="Oplinger Putnam 1990"/> Sesame is drought-tolerant, in part due to its extensive root system. However, it requires adequate moisture for germination and early growth. While the crop survives drought and the presence of excess water, the yields are significantly lower in either condition. Moisture levels before planting and flowering affect yield the most.<ref name="Oplinger Putnam 1990" /> Most commercial cultivars of sesame are intolerant of waterlogging. Rainfall late in the season prolongs growth and increases loss to dehiscence, when the seedpod shatters, scattering the seed. Wind can also cause shattering at harvest.<ref name="Oplinger Putnam 1990"/>