Sesame Production Under Water-Limited Environments: Integrating Physiology, Agronomy, Breeding and Climate Adaption Perspectives for Sustainable Systems

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is increasingly recognised as a drought-tolerant oilseed crop, particularly important for water-limited agriculture. However, evidence supporting its drought resilience is scattered across various studies in physiology, agronomy, genetics, and environmental science. This review aims to synthesise current understanding of sesame’s water use, responses to drought, irrigation management, water-use efficiency, interactions with nutrients, disease dynamics, breeding strategies, and adaptation to climate change. Sesame has several mechanisms to adapt to water deficits, such as deep rooting, stomatal regulation, osmotic adjustment, efficient carbon allocation, and the ability to recover after rewatering. However, these traits offer only partial protection against drought. Research shows that flowering and early capsule development are particularly sensitive to drought, with water shortages during these stages leading to significant yield losses. Strategic application of moderate deficit or supplemental irrigation can enhance water productivity, although the effectiveness varies among different genotypes and environmental conditions. The review points out major knowledge gaps, including inconsistent metrics for water-use efficiency, a lack of studies examining genotype x irrigation interactions, limited understanding of drought–disease relationships, and an over-reliance on pot experiments and short-term studies. Evidence from field-scale research, especially in emerging production regions like Australia, is still lacking. In summary, sesame should be viewed as drought-resilient rather than drought-proof. Future advancements will rely on integrating drought-resilient breeding, precision irrigation, root phenotyping, remote sensing, crop modelling, and improved management of water and nutrients within a genotype x environment x management framework, thereby strengthening the role of sesame in climate-resilient and sustainable farming systems under increasing water scarcity.