Preliminary Evaluation of the Performance of Bene Seed (Sesamum Indicuml..) in Calabar.pdf

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), family Pedaliaceae, is a flowering plant with broad leaves, growing to a height of 1-2m. It is a warm season crop and considered drought tolerant, but needs good soil moisture to thrive. Geremew (2012) maintained that, Sesame requires temperature of 25 to 370C throughout its growth period, however, temperature of 25 to 270C encourages germination and early growth. A rainfall of 300 to 800mm all the year round is necessary for reasonable yields, the soil pH of 5 to 8 is required for optimum performance of sesame and a well-drained sandy loam soil, which allows for smooth root penetration, waterlogging soil and heavy clay soil are not encouraged for sesame production. Sesame is valued for its high quality oil that is rich in vitamins required for the body's wellness (Vasantrao et al., 2015). Nigeria is one of the major producers of sesame in Africa and cultivation in this country is concentrated in the guinea savanna agro-ecological zone. The increasing demands for Sesame as alternative source of cooking oil and for baking activities in Nigeria and export market is a wake-up call for the introduction of Sesame production into different agro ecological zone in Nigeria