My sesame capsules split open and the seed falls before I can collect it. How do I harvest and cure til to avoid loss?
How do I harvest sesame til without losing seed to capsule shattering (sesame)?
RRamswaroop Yadav5mo ago · 225 views
4 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓5mo ago
Sesame capsules shatter and drop seed easily once fully dry, so the trick is to cut the plants when the lower capsules are mature and the crop has just started yellowing, before the upper capsules dry and split. Cut the whole plants and stack them upright in small bundles to cure, then thresh by gently inverting and tapping the dry bundles over a sheet so the seed falls cleanly. Harvesting in the cooler morning reduces shattering during cutting. Clean and dry the seed before storage. Shattering tolerant varieties exist and reduce field loss if available. For the right harvest stage and any non shattering variety, confirm with your local KVK.
PPooran Lal4mo ago
Cutting a little early and curing the bundles upright, then tapping them over a tarpaulin, saved most of my seed. Waiting for full dryness in the field just dropped the til on the ground.
RRamkishan Ahirwar4mo ago
I cut the crop in the cool of the early morning when the capsules are slightly damp with dew, because in the dry afternoon heat the capsules crack and shed seed even as you cut. The morning cutting alone reduced my losses during harvest noticeably.
HHalke Lal Yadav4mo ago
Standing the bundles upright on a clean threshing floor or a sheet to cure means the seed that falls as the capsules open is caught, not lost on the ground. After they dry I just invert and tap the bundles gently and the seed comes out clean. If a non shattering tolerant variety is available in your area, ask your KVK, it reduces the loss further.