CENTRAL Queensland croppers may soon have access to a high value, drought tolerant late summer / early autumn cropping option that can fit in perfectly with a winter chickpea plant.
CQUniversity researchers, together with seed technology company AgriVentis Technologies, are currently doing trial work in the Rockhampton area on black sesame to test its viability as a commercial crop.
Research fellow at the Institute of Future Farming division of CQUniversity Surya Bhattarai said the results were promising.
“The plots have been harvested and the commercial trial will come off next week,” Dr Bhattarai said.
“So far we are very pleased, the crops are particularly drought tolerant and look to have produced a crop even though there has only been 120mm of growing season rainfall.”
Dr Bhattarai said previous small scale trials had seen yields vary anywhere from 0.5 to 4.5 tonnes a hectare.
“We’d be particularly happy if the commercial trial went 2t/ha,” he said.
At this yield level the crop has the potential to be a fantastic earner for growers.
“The pricing can vary anywhere between $1000 and $5000 a tonne,” Dr Bhattarai said.
Black sesame trades at a significant premium to its relative white sesame, due to perceived culinary and health benefits.
“Usually black sesame is around double the price of white sesame,” Dr Bhattarai said.
Black sesame oil is a prized condiment in Korean cooking, while a paste of the seeds is used to make popular desserts in Japan.
“There are other Asian markets such as Singapore, it is very popular throughout the whole region,” Dr Bhattarai said.
And while it may seem an obscure, niche crop from an Australian perspective Dr Bhattarai said there could be significant demand for the product.
“In Korea alone there could be 100,000 tonnes of demand, so it is a crop with growth opportunities.”
As well as export opportunities there are also chances to open up the domestic market, with a number of Australian producers utilising black sesame, which is currently imported.
Sesame, a broadleaf plant, originated in arid parts of sub-Saharan Africa and is considered the world’s first cultivated oilseed crop.
Its extensive root system gives it a large degree of drought tolerance, with the trials occuring in dryland paddocks.
In Central Queensland, Dr Bhattarai said the crop was suited to being planted in February and harvested around now.
“This means it can fit in well with chickpeas, which are a popular cash crop in CQ,” Dr Bhattarai said.
“The farmers look to plant chickpeas from June to early August and harvest them in October, there is then a short fallow period before the sesame is planted.
“As a short season, 120 day crop, sesame will fit in double cropping systems.”
CQUniversity has also evaluated the different varieties of black sesame crops under field conditions, as well as in controlled glasshouse environments on campus to assess the crop water use efficiency and drought tolerance.
The current major producers of black sesame are Myanmar and Tanzania and other dry tropical areas.
“It certainly isn’t a crop that can be grown anywhere too wet as it needs to be dry in the autumn / early winter when it is being harvested,” Dr Bhattarai said.
He said Australia could exploit a competitive advantage if the industry takes off here.
“Supply chains here are much more sophisticated than in other producing nations and that may appeal to buyers,” he said.
The Rockhampton trial has been conducted between CQUniversity, AgriVentis and Foxwell Farming, while Dr Bhattarai also thanked the Rockhampton City Council for their assistance with the project.
Should the trial end a success it will pave the way for the first commercial black sesame crops in Australia for over a decade.