RT 351
From the AICRP Sesame centre at Mandor, Agriculture University, Jodhpur — notified in 2011 for the hot, arid north-west zone, with several capsules in each leaf axil.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Sesame (Til)
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 80–85 days
- Expected yield
- 5–7 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Sandy / light soil
- Disease resistance
- Moderate phyllody tolerance
- Release
- Notified 25 March 2011 (S.O. 632(E)) for National Zone-I — Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, western Uttar Pradesh, with adjoining Maharashtra/Karnataka; developed by AICRP Sesame, Mandor centre, Agriculture University, Jodhpur
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
RT 351 was developed by the pedigree method from a cross between NIC-8409 and RT-127 under the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Sesame at the Mandor research centre, Agriculture University, Jodhpur. It was officially notified for commercial cultivation via S.O. 632(E) dated 25 March 2011, for National Zone-I: the hot, arid ecosystem of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and western Uttar Pradesh, with adjoining tracts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Its defining trait is a multicapsular arrangement — several seed capsules per leaf axil — a step up from the Mandor centre's earlier single/alternate-capsule releases RT 46 (1990), RT 127 (1999) and RT 346, and the reason it took hold quickly with farmers working the short Rajasthan kharif window.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose RT 351 if you farm in Rajasthan, or elsewhere in the hot, arid zone it was notified for, and want a variety with a notification behind it. It takes 80–85 days. National trials give 700–800 kg/ha, and field demonstrations in 26 Rajasthan districts (2016–2020) gave 36.17% more than farmers' own practice. Choose RT-346 instead only if RT 351 seed is not available locally: it is the older, steady rainfed type. Outside Rajasthan, check that your district is inside the notified zone first.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeFirst fortnight of July for the kharif crop in Rajasthan (AICRP sesame package)
- Spacing30 x 15 cm, or 45 x 10 cm
- FertilizerOn heavy soil 40:20:0 kg NPK per ha with 250 kg gypsum per ha, and on light soil 40:25:0. Where the package gives no split, put half the nitrogen and all the phosphorus and potash in at sowing and the other half of the nitrogen 30–35 days after sowing, when the soil is moist
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Web summaries credit it with resistance to Macrophomina (charcoal rot), leaf curl and phyllody, and moderate resistance to Cercospora leaf spot and capsule borer. That is broader than the "moderate phyllody tolerance" shown above, but no release sheet backs it, so treat the extra claims as unconfirmed
- A Krishi Vigyan Kendra front-line-demonstration study (2016–2020, 26 districts of Rajasthan) records farmers specifically valuing its resistance to stem and root rot alongside its higher capsule count
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Multicapsular bearing (several capsules per leaf axil instead of the 1–2 of earlier Mandor releases like RT 127) gives more seed-bearing sites per plant
- A cluster front-line demonstration across 26 Rajasthan districts (2016–2020) recorded a 36.17% yield advantage over farmers' existing practice, with a modest 1.35 q/ha extension gap — meaning most of the potential is already reachable with better seed access alone
Things to consider
- National trials report 700–800 kg/ha, a little above the 5–7 q/ha shown above. Use the range, and expect the lower end in a dry year.
- The notification covers National Zone-I (Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and western Uttar Pradesh, with adjoining parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka). Madhya Pradesh, shown above, is not named there, so check locally before sowing in Madhya Pradesh.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Rajasthan
- Madhya Pradesh
What 36.17% more yield in farmers' fields really says
Front-line demonstrations in 26 Rajasthan districts (2016–2020) recorded 36.17% more yield from RT 351 than from farmers' existing practice. The gap between the demonstration plots and ordinary farmers' fields was only 1.35 q/ha.
Read that second number first. It means the farmers who got the seed and sowed it properly came close to the demonstration result without a special package. Most of the gain came from the seed, not from extra inputs.
The 36.17% is measured against what those farmers were growing before, so your own gain depends on what is in your field now. If you already grow a good, clean seed, expect less. If your seed is mixed or many years old, expect more.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Sesame (Til) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GT 10 | The black-seeded sesame with proven Phytophthora blight resistance, for Gujarat | 92–95 days | 6–8 q/ha | Gujarat |
| RT 351this page | The multicapsular Rajasthan sesame: several capsules per leaf axil, notified for the hot, arid zone | 80–85 days | 5–7 q/ha | Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh |
| RT-346 | A steady rainfed sesame for Rajasthan, chosen for stability across seasons, not for a published peak yield | 82–88 days | Medium–high | Rajasthan |
| Swetha (TMV-3 type) | A white-seeded sesame for buyers who pay for pale til, with a December sowing pattern from the Tirupati trials | 82–86 days | 750–800 kg/ha (AICRP sesame package) | Andhra Pradesh |
| TC-25 | A white-seeded, early sesame with 50–52% oil, best documented for July sowing in Punjab | 75–82 days; 80–85 for a July sowing in Punjab | Medium | Uttar Pradesh |
| TKG-22 | The long-standing Madhya Pradesh check variety: steady, well understood, with capsules that ripen together | 80–85 days | Medium–high | Madhya Pradesh |
| TMV 7 | The brown, high-oil sesame that fits every Tamil Nadu season: 80–90 days and tolerant to root rot | 80–90 days | 7.4–9.2 q/ha | Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Sesame (Til) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Sesame (Til) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Sesame (Til) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Sesame (Til) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Sesame (Til) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Sesame (Til) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Sesame (Til) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What makes RT 351 different from older Rajasthan sesame releases like RT 127?
Its multicapsular trait — several seed capsules per leaf axil instead of the single/alternate arrangement of RT 46, RT 127 and RT 346 — which packs more seed-bearing sites onto the same short-duration plant.
Which states was RT 351 notified for?
It was notified by S.O. 632(E) on 25 March 2011 for National Zone-I: Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and western Uttar Pradesh, with adjoining parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Madhya Pradesh is not named there, so check locally before sowing it in Madhya Pradesh.
What did the 26-district demonstrations show?
Front-line demonstrations in 26 Rajasthan districts (2016–2020) recorded 36.17% more yield than farmers' existing practice. The gap between the demonstration plots and farmers' fields was only 1.35 q/ha, which suggests most of the gain comes from using the right seed.
Can I save RT 351 seed?
Yes. RT 351 is open-pollinated, so seed from your own crop gives the same variety. Keep it from the healthiest plants, dry the capsules fully and store the seed dry. Buy fresh seed if the plants in your plot start to look mixed.
Should I plan on 700–800 kg/ha or 5–7 q/ha for RT 351?
Use the range and expect the lower end in a dry year. National trials report 700–800 kg/ha, a little above the 5–7 q/ha shown here, and the 26-district demonstrations gave 36.17% more than farmers' own practice. That gain is against local practice, not a yield figure, so it should not be added to the range.
RT 351 has moderate phyllody tolerance. What should I do?
Treat it as partial help. Moderate tolerance means phyllody can still appear. Scout the crop each week, pull and destroy plants showing green, leafy flowers early, and control the insects that spread it, following your state's advice. Do not assume the variety alone will protect the crop in a bad year.
Sourced from: Yield Gaps and Scaling Up of Sesame Variety (RT-351) in Potential Areas of Rajasthan — Indian Journal of Extension Education, Improved Technology for Maximizing Production of Sesame — AICRP on Sesame and Niger, ICAR (Ranganatha and others, revised 2013): Tables 3, 8 and 9 (sowing time, spacing and fertiliser by state). editorial policy.