Growing traditional sesame is manual-labor-intensive. The crop must be delicately cut and sheaved by hand while green and dried in the field. The seeds must be threshed manually; otherwise, the pods shatter and scatter the sesame seeds, which is wasteful and costly.

Until now, genetics have dictated that sesame plants could not be harvested mechanically, unlike hardy grains such as wheat or corn. Over 98% of global sesame produced are shattering varieties that must be harvested manually.

The few known non-shattering varieties that can be mechanically harvested tend to be bitter and/or produce low yields. Sesame is an orphan crop; therefore, the industry has not invested in new development or produced significant breakthroughs in many years.

For over 13 years, we have been dedicated to collecting unique sesame varieties from diverse sources and crossing them to create the largest sesame germplasm collection in human history!

This unparalleled gene bank houses over 90,000 distinct varieties, each meticulously stored, labeled, and documented with detailed genetic and phenotypic data.

This monumental resource forms the foundation of our current and future breeding programs, enabling us to continuously innovate and unlock the full potential of sesame cultivation.

All our varieties carry unique, patented genetic markers, which enable easy identification of our proprietary varieties. All sesame seeds and plants can be verified authentic using a PCR test. Even products like tahini can be tested to determine whether they are produced from Equinom Sesame.

Traders and processors can be sure they purchase genuine Equinom Sesame to take advantage of its distinct flavor profile, processing qualities and other essential properties.