HETEROSIS AND COMBINING ABILITY STUDIES IN SESAME Sesamum indicum L

Sesame (Sesamun indicum L.) is a very ancient oil seed crop, generally known astil, tal and gingelly. It belongs to the order Tabiflorae and family Pedaliaceae having 16 genera and 60 different species, of which several can be crossed with S. indicum and a few also cultivated for their seeds. The observable seed color ranges from black to pure white It is a self-pollinated annual diploid (2n = 26) herb. It is considered a crop of tropical and sub-tropical regions but it has also spread to the temperate parts of the world In India, the sesame crop is grown throughout the country round the year i.e, during Kharif, semi-rabi, rabi and summer as a sole or mixed crop.