Swetha (TMV-3 type)
A white-seeded Andhra Pradesh variety (listed as Swetha Til, 1997) with 50–52% oil and 750–800 kg/ha in the AICRP sesame package.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Sesame (Til)
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 82–86 days
- Expected yield
- 750–800 kg/ha (AICRP sesame package)
- Suitable soil
- Sandy / light soil
- Disease resistance
- Tolerant to powdery mildew, stem rot, leaf curl and macrophomina (AICRP sesame package; no scores given)
- Release
- Listed as Swetha Til in the AICRP sesame package: Andhra Pradesh, 1997, white seed, determinate plant
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Swetha is a white-seeded sesame variety used as a comparison cultivar in trials at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Tirupati (Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh) during 2021-22 and 2022-23. Those trials found Swetha performs best when sown in the second fortnight of December, with yield dropping significantly if sowing is delayed beyond that window — a rabi/winter sowing pattern, not a kharif one. Swetha is also named among five modern sesame cultivars whose genome has been sequenced and made publicly available as a comparative-genomics resource.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Swetha if you want white seed for a market that pays a premium for it and you can sow in the second fortnight of December, which is when the Tirupati trials in Andhra Pradesh gave the best yield. It takes 82–86 days. It yielded less than the brown-seeded YLM 66 in those trials, so choose a brown-seeded variety such as TMV 7 if the weight of seed matters more than its colour. The AICRP sesame package lists it as Swetha Til, an Andhra Pradesh variety of 1997 with 750–800 kg/ha and 50–52% oil, tolerant to powdery mildew, stem rot, leaf curl and macrophomina.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeCoastal Andhra Pradesh: kharif in the second fortnight of May, summer in the second fortnight of January. Telangana: kharif in the second fortnight of July (AICRP sesame package). In the Tirupati trials the best yield came from sowing in the second fortnight of December
- Spacing30 x 15 cm in coastal Andhra Pradesh, and 30 x 10–15 cm in Telangana
- Fertilizer40:40:20 kg NPK per ha in coastal Andhra Pradesh, and 30:30:20 in Telangana. 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
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- The Swetha trials found were at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, and the best sowing window there was December, a rabi or winter sowing. The AICRP package's own dates for coastal Andhra Pradesh are May for kharif and January for summer, so check which window suits your land before sowing.
- Tamil Nadu Agricultural University's official gingelly variety list does not include a variety named Swetha, and the AICRP package lists Swetha Til under Andhra Pradesh. Ask your seed seller who bred the lot you are buying.
- In the Tirupati trials, white-seeded Swetha gave less seed than the brown-seeded comparison variety YLM 66. This is a comparison, not a yield figure.
- The AICRP package lists tolerance to powdery mildew, stem rot, leaf curl and macrophomina but gives no scores, so scout the crop yourself.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Andhra Pradesh
Counting from a December sowing
In the Tirupati trials, Swetha gave its best yield when sown in the second fortnight of December, which is 16 to 31 December. At 82–86 days, a crop sown then is ready between the first and the last week of March.
The trials also found that yield dropped significantly the later the sowing went. So if the seed, the land and the labour are not ready before Christmas, the plan is already slipping. Settle all three in the first half of December.
Decide what follows the sesame before you sow it. A March harvest leaves the field free for the summer, but only if the crop is not delayed by a late start.
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 351 | 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)this page | 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
When should Swetha be sown for the best yield?
Trials at Tirupati found the second fortnight of December gives the highest seed yield, with yield dropping significantly the longer sowing is delayed beyond that — a rabi/winter sowing pattern.
Which state is Swetha for, and where has it been studied?
The AICRP sesame package lists it as Swetha Til, an Andhra Pradesh variety of 1997. The trials we found were at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Tirupati, in Andhra Pradesh. No source ties Swetha to Tamil Nadu, so if you farm there, ask your local agriculture office before you sow.
Is Swetha a Tamil Nadu Agricultural University release?
No. TNAU's official gingelly variety list has no variety by this name. The AICRP sesame package lists Swetha Til as an Andhra Pradesh variety of 1997, and the trials we found were in Andhra Pradesh. Ask your seed seller who bred the lot you are buying.
How does Swetha compare to brown-seeded sesame varieties?
In the Tirupati trials, white-seeded Swetha yielded less than the brown-seeded comparison variety YLM 66 — a pattern seen elsewhere too, since white-seeded sesame is often grown for its market premium rather than for maximum seed yield.
Is Swetha genetically well-studied?
Yes. It is named among five modern sesame cultivars whose full genome has been sequenced and made available for comparative-genomics research, an unusual distinction among Indian sesame varieties.
What happens if I sow Swetha late?
In the Tirupati trials, yield dropped significantly when sowing was pushed beyond the second fortnight of December. If you cannot sow by the end of December, do not count on Swetha for a good crop and ask for a variety that suits your sowing date.
Is Swetha a kharif crop or a winter crop?
It is listed above as kharif, but the trials found for it sowed it in December, a rabi or winter pattern. Follow the trial evidence for the sowing time, and check locally before you sow it in the kharif season.
How does Swetha compare with TMV 7 on days?
Swetha takes 82–86 days (AICRP package) and TMV 7 takes 80–90 days per TNAU, so there is almost no difference. Choose between them on seed colour and your sowing season, not on duration.
Is Swetha resistant to any disease?
The AICRP sesame package lists Swetha Til as tolerant to powdery mildew, stem rot, leaf curl and macrophomina, but it gives no scores. Treat that as a lead, not as cover. Scout the crop yourself, use treated seed and keep the field well drained.
Can I save Swetha seed for the next season?
Yes, it is listed as open-pollinated, so seed from your crop should come true to type. Keep seed from healthy plants, dry it well and store it dry. Because no source names who bred it, ask your seed seller for the lot label, and compare your saved seed's colour and days against the first crop.
Sourced from: Season and Varieties — Gingelly — TNAU Agritech Portal, 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.