Sesame harvest loss caused by sesame seed bug, Elasmolomus sordidus F. at Kafta-Humera sesame fields

Abstract

Sesame is an important cash crop in Ethiopia. In Humera, farmers are largely dependent on this important cash crop for their living. The production rate is, however, lower than the national average. There could be many factors for its reduced productivity, but pests especially sesame seed bug is one of the reasons. In this study, sesame seed weight loss due to sesame seed bug was determined at field and laboratory conditions. At both conditions, there was significant seed weight loss when the packaging materials were unlined jute and unlined polythene bags, although the loss at field conditions was severe. In both setups, there was small seed weight loss when the packaging materials were lined. This could be due to moisture loss from the seeds because the bugs could not penetrate the lined bags. From these, farmers are advised to use lined bags for storage and transport the harvested seeds to their stores as soon as possible.