Sesame is a very important oil crop produced in Ethiopia mainly for export purposes. Regardless of wide cultivation of the crop it’s susceptibility to shattering is highly affecting yield and quality. Studies suggest that there is some natural variation towards shatter resistance in sesame. This study aims to quantify and screen non shattering capacities of seventy eight sesame accessions collected from different parts of the country along with two standard checks in an augmented design. Capsule shattering percentage and capsule opening size were calculated for each plot. Significance difference was observed among the accessions for these important parameters regarding to shattering. The average seed retention percentage recorded was 57.13%. Capsule opening size ranged from 2.33mm to 11.33mm which is can bring a huge difference in the accessions for non-shattering ability. The highest seed retention percentage scored in this study was from accession 241342 with 89.72% of the seed capsules are retained followed by accession 17703 (88.58%) and 17713 (84.30%). The check varieties (Setit 1 and Setiti 2) were below the average in mean seed retention percentage with 49.85% and 48.6% respectively. The results indicated that there is great variation which existes naturally in Ethiopian sesame accessions. These can be developed as varieties with moderate shattering resistance or further incorporated into sesame breeding programs.

Keywords: capsule; seed retention; shattering; Ethiopia; Sesame