Research Projects

Sesamum indicum L., the "Queen of oil seeds," is a valuable source of high nutritional value seeds and edible oil with medicinally important antioxidant lignans. Major sesame producing countries include India, Sudan, and China. However, global per unit area production of sesame, especially in developing countries, is significantly lower due to factors such as indeterminate growth, uneven capsule ripening, absence of non-shattering types, and exposure to various biotic and abiotic stresses. To overcome these yield barriers, high-yielding varieties with high oil content are needed for an increasing population. Conventional breeding methods have not been successful in breaking the yield plateau. To develop high-yielding cultivars, characterization and exploitation of available germplasm are required. Morpho-agronomic traits are the prime variables for studying genetic diversity, but selection based on these traits has proven ineffective due to low heritability, strong environmental influence, and genetic complexity. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are a promising approach that connects phenotypic variation and genomic data to detect genomic regions underlying complex traits. Genetic stocks with high allelic variations for high seed yield components and quality traits could be developed through GWAS, which could be used as donors in breeding programs for high-yielding sesame varieties with rich nutritional profiles.