Recent years witnessed an interest from the industrial sector in sesame for production of superior quality oil augmented with sound antioxidants. However, despite its economic significance being widely felt, breeding programmes of sesame has not been complemented adequately with the innovative breeding and biotechnological tools. The crop has enormous variability and several molecular marker systems have been used to increase selection efficiency for genotyping of several traits as well. Rich genetic diversity is available to ease the genomic advancements in the crop through comparative mapping and also in the study of lipid biosynthesis. The framework genetic map of sesame is now available in public domain. Wild species constitute a rich repertoire of genes for biotic and abiotic stresses besides oil quality traits and need to be utilized. Resequencing data in various sesame accessions from diverse sources suggested that the high genetic diversity of lipid-related genes might be associated with the wide variation in oil content. In vitro manipulations and genetic transformation protocols through vector mediated gene transfer in sesame crop are in place providing scope for development of transgenic for desirable traits. This article reviews the benchmark interventions in the field of genetics as well as genomics of the crop and highlights further research thrust for promoting the same in an international arena.
