Agronomic traits and oil content of sesame varieties in eastern Paraguay

In Paraguay, sesame holds an important social role in rural areas, as it is primarily cultivated by small-scale farmers. However, limited information is available on varieties with high yield potential. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic traits and oil content of five varieties of Sesamum indicum L. Field trials were conducted in Saltos del Guairá and Ybyrarobana during the 2022/23 growing season. The experimental design was a randomized block design with five replications and five treatments corresponding to five sesame varieties (Inia, Negro, KO7, SH1, and Escoba) in each experiment. The evaluated characteristics were plant height, number of capsules, thousand-grain weight, grain yield, and oil percentage in grains. The Escoba variety had the highest plant height (174.50 cm), and the Inia and Negro varieties had the highest thousand-kernel weight values of 3.20 and 3.02 g, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the number of capsules, productivity, or oil content among the varieties.