Sesame — 7Harvest, storage & transport

• When to harvest

  At maturity, about 25% of the bottom leaves have shed, the top leaves turn yellow, the stem turns yellow and the capsules are yellow up to the middle. Harvest before the bottom capsules turn brown. Open the 10th capsule from the bottom: if the seeds have the full colour of the variety, harvest. If harvest is delayed, capsules split open and yield is lost.

  Pending expert review

  Source

  Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Sesame – Harvesting (decide when to harvest), pp. 201–202

  Region

  Tamil Nadu

  Last updated

  2026-11-04

• Curing, threshing and storage

  Pull out the plants and stack them in a circle in the open, stems pointing out and tops pointing in; cover the top with straw and cure for 3 days. Shake the plants — about 75% of the seeds fall. Dry one more day and shake again. Winnow, sun-dry the seed for 3 days stirring every 3 hours, and store in gunny bags. For storage pests, mix 1 kg of activated clay with 100 kg of well-dried seed.

  Pending expert review

  Source

  Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Sesame – Harvest (curing & threshing), p. 202

  Region

  Tamil Nadu

  Last updated

  2026-11-04