▣ General Situation of Sesame Production in Korea

(Table 1) Sesame utilization area in Korea

It is also grown widely as an oil yielding and food crop in Korea.

In Korea, it is cultivated during the summer season as shown in the sesame cropping patterns in Korea. One crop of sesame under rainfed conditions is obtained from May to early September in the central northern areas.
However, in the southern areas it is grown as a first crop from late April and May to late August and early September, and as a second crop from June to mid-September. For the purpose of sowing sesame, the soil has been well prepared by a number of good ploughings followed by harrowings. To ensure good germination, soil should be worked to a fine tilth and adequate moisture should be available.

Thus, to establish good stand and to escape such soil borne diseases as Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum, vinyl (polyethylene film 0.02mm) mulching cultivation has been practiced in Korea. The improved cultivation techniques also accelerated initial growth by increasing top soil temperature up to 7-8°c more, and by preventing soil moisture evaporation and wet soil problem, resulting in increase for capsule number per plant, grain filling rate and grain yield.
In Korea, sesame has been sown alone as well as mixed or interplanted with other crops in the sequential and/or intercropping systems. It is generally sown alone in the sequential cropping systems, and also sown mixed or interplanted with soybeans, peanuts, cotton, sorghum, corn or millets. In general, sesame is grown as a pure crop and is generally treated as a row crop. Rotations are also very important in growing sesame in Korea.