Evaluation of different sesame varieties cultivated under saline conditions in the southwestern coastal region of Bangladesh

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is widely used in many cooking techniques worldwide, and it is known as the ''queen of oilseeds'' because it contains polyunsaturated lipids that prevent oxidative rancidity and carry oil content up to 60%. The salty portions of the country have much lower agricultural yields, cropping intensities, and productivity than the rest of the country. In this paper, we compared the variations of yield performance and salinity torelance between modern and local sesame varieties to select the best-performing varieties under saline conditions in the southwestern coastal region of Bangladesh. The field experiment had been performed during the Kharif-1 season (mid-March to mid-July) of 2022 ​at the BINA (Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture) substation farm, Satkhira. Four BINA varieties and two BARI (Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute) varieties developed sesame varieties, and one local variety, viz. Binatil-1, Binatil-2, Binatil-3, Binatil-4, BARI Til-3, BARI Til-4 and Lal Til (Batiaghata local) were tested under saline conditions. A randomized complete block design was utilized, with three replications of each variety across the experimental field. The greatest plant height (92.00 ​cm) was found in BARI Til-3, whereas the lowest was observed in Binatil-3. BARI Til-4 had the highest number of branches per plant (4.55), whereas the lowest was found in Binatil-1. The highest number of capsules (22.22) was shown in Binatil-3, and the lowest was found in Binatil-1. The maximum number of seeds in capsule-1 (72.55) was demonstrated by Lal Til, and the minimum was observed in BARI Til-4. The Lal Til variety presented the highest seed yield (1.25 ​ha-1), whereas the Binatil-1 variety presented the lowest seed yield. These results indicate that the Lal Til variety performed better in yield. It may be cultivated in the Satkhira region under saline circumstances and used as breeding material for future breeding programs. These findings are highly important for the future of sesame cultivation in Bangladesh and other saline-prone areas.