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Abstract

Sesame is a drought-resilient, nutritionally rich oilseed crop widely grown in tropical and subtropical regions. Sudan is recognized as a major global producer and a center of genetic diversity for sesame. However, Sudanese germplasm remains largely underutilized in global breeding efforts. This thesis summarizes five studies evaluating key agronomic and biochemical traits in 200 diverse Sudanese sesame genotypes, assessed across multiple seasons and agroecological zones. A storage stability study (for 10 commonly cultivated genotypes) under accelerated aging conditions (55°C, 60% RH) demonstrated genotype-specific variation in oil stability and antioxidant retention. Landrace Abusundoug displayed exceptional oxidative stability, highlighting its value for breeding improved shelf-life cultivars. Comprehensive biochemical profiling revealed substantial variations in oil content (32.8–50.2%), oleic acid (41.3–47.6%) and linoleic acid (35.0–41.4%). Seed coat color showed extensive variation (CIELab parameters: L*, a*, b*), with limited correlation with oil traits. Black and dark brown seeds contained higher antioxidantrelated compounds, while white-seeded genotypes typically exhibited a higher oil content. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and genomic prediction identified genetic loci underlying complex traits, including oil quality, seed pigmentation, and capsule-shattering resistance. GWAS revealed 21 significant SNP loci linked to seed coat pigmentation involving flavonoid biosynthesis genes (e.g., WRKY, DOF zinc finger). Capsule-shattering analyses identified five robust SNP markers, notably Chr2_15649330 and Chr8_31466064, and candidate genes (MKK5, RZF1, COR27) which are homologous to pod-shattering genes from Arabidopsis and Brassica napus. These findings highlight the considerable potential of Sudanese sesame germplasm for developing climate-resilient, nutritionally enhanced, and commercially valuable sesame varieties through marker-assisted breeding.

Keywords

Gene analysis; Genetic resources utilization; Neglected crops; Markerassisted selection; Plant breeding; Sudan

Published in

Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae
2025, number: 2025:50
Publisher: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

SLU Authors

UKÄ Subject classification

Genetics and Breeding in Agricultural Sciences

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.54612/a.3b0u19hekl
  • ISBN: 978-91-8046-559-5
  • eISBN: 978-91-8046-564-9

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/141963