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Table 6
Key ideotype traits for mechanised sesame harvesting, their inherent trade-offs, and target parameters.
| Ideotype trait | Demand for shatter resistance (field retention) | Demand for threshability (mechanical release) | Optimal balance and target parameters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capsule Wall and Membrane Integrity | High structural integrity; resists environmental stress (wind, rain). | Brittle enough to fracture easily under combine impact. | A resilient membrane providing full coverage but engineered with fracture points responsive to 3−5 kN of mechanical impact (Shtein et al., 2016b). |
| Seed-Placenta Adhesion | Strong adhesion to placental tissue to prevent vibration-induced loss. | Weak adhesion for effortless seed detachment during threshing. | Tunable adhesion that withstands low-frequency field vibrations (≤2 Hz) but yields to high-frequency threshing forces (≥25 Hz) (Langham, 2011 and 2013). |
| Apical Opening (Valve Score) | A completely closed tip (score 8) to maximise seed retention. | A wide opening (low score) for an easy seed exit path. | A minimal opening (score ∼ 7) that permits drying while preventing spillage, optimising both stability and threshing (Langham, 2007). |
| Physiological Synchrony | Asynchronous maturity to hedge against total crop failure from a single stress event. | Uniform maturity and desiccation for a single, efficient harvest pass. | Uniform vascular senescence patterns ensuring synchronised moisture loss (8–12% gradient) along the entire fruiting zone (Day, 2000a). |
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