Enhancing sesame production in West Africa’s Sahel: a comprehensive insight into the cultivation of this untapped crop in Senegal and Mali

Abstract

Background: West Africa's Sahel is characterized by a dry and hot climate with limited rainfall that impairs the production of several crops. Sesame is a resilient crop that is well suited to this environment. Unfortunately, there is a lack of data relative to the status of its production in West Africa. We made investigations in four major sesame-growing areas of Senegal and Mali, into the status of the crop's production, its agronomic practices, the challenges farmers face and their preferences concerning the traits that should be improved.Results: A total of 256 sesame producers in 47 villages were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The results showed that sesame is a multi-ethnic crop and only 20% of the total fields owned by farmers were allocated to its cultivation. The yield and the seasonal production of sesame per farmer was quite weak showing that this crop is still a commodity grown on a small scale. Various cultivars were grown, and the most widely grown ones have considerable levels of oil (53-60.34%) and protein (18-21.89%) contents. In both countries, seed marketing was the main impediment the producers faced on account of a lack of reliable markets and of a considerable fluctuation in prices. Conclusions:Overall, the sesame sector is still traditional but is progressively developing and sesame could become an important cash crop for smallholders in West Africa's Sahel. Research programs should target the release of the varieties with higher yield, a stronger resistance to drought, heat, diseases and pests, a good seed quality and improved plant architecture. This study represents the first insight into the sesame sector in West Africa's Sahel, and our findings may guide researchers and policy-makers to boost this sector for ensuring food security and the improvement of small-scale farmers' livelihood.

Comprehensive Screening of Some West and Central African Sesame Genotypes for Drought Resistance Probing by Agromorphological, Physiological, Biochemical and Seed Quality Traits

“…Sesame has developed from a crop of marginal importance to a major agricultural export commodity involving several million family-based farmers in this area [3]. In fact, it is progressively adopted because its cultivation is relatively simple as it can grow on different types of soil, does not need too much irrigation, is tolerant to high temperatures, not labor-intensive, and fits in well with crop rotation schemes [4,5]. In addition, sesame production demands few investments, which makes it suitable for the small-scale farmers in West and Central Africa.…”

A High-Density SNP Genetic Map Construction Using ddRAD-Seq and Mapping of Capsule Shattering Trait in Sesame

“…In addition, sesame has agricultural advantages; it can survive in extreme conditions, can grow on only soil moisture without irrigation and fertilizer, and can be grown as a second crop (Ashri, 2007). These attributes make the crop an important income source especially for small-scale farmers in developing countries (Dossa et al, 2017).…”

A Search for Suitable Growing Environment for Sesame Production in Nigeria

“…Reference [20] also confirmed that sesame efficiently uses resource-poor land. The plant was also considered by [21] as one of the resilient crops best-suited to the arid climate capable of being cultivated in marginal lands and inclement areas under frequent droughts and/or high heat. Their position was supported by [16] by saying that the crop has a high ability to adapt to tropical and semi-tropical regions.…”