Work

State-of-the-art mechanised sesame harvesting: A multi-physics review of biomechanics, simulation methods, and adaptation to modern combine harvesters

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Mechanising sesame harvesting is a persistent challenge in agricultural and biosystems engineering. This difficulty arises from the crop's unique traits, such as slender stems, brittle capsules, and extremely small, low-density seeds. Conventional cereal combines harvesters often impose excessive mechanical and aerodynamic stresses on sesame plants, leading to substantial seed losses during harvest processing. This review synthesises current research on sesame harvesting from an engineering perspective, integrating crop biomechanics, cutting and fracture mechanics, threshing and impact dynamics, and seed airflow interactions. The study examines the morphology and moisture-dependent mechanical properties of sesame stems, capsules, and seeds. It also evaluates the potential of the discrete element method (DEM), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), finite element analysis (FEA), and multi-body dynamics (MBD) for modelling machine–crop interactions and supporting predictive harvester optimisation. Current mechanisation technologies and sesame-specific innovations are summarised, alongside their limitations when adapted to modern combine harvesters. Significant research gaps include the lack of standardised biomechanical datasets, limited validated cutting and fracture models, simplified DEM and CFD representations, and minimal integration of hybrid multi-physics simulations. Addressing these gaps is crucial for developing the next generation of sesame harvesting systems that reduce seed losses, maintain seed quality, and enable efficient mechanised production across diverse agro-ecological conditions.

Source: Biosystems Engineering

DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2026.104564

Authors: Gowrishankaran Raveendran, Ramadas Narayanan, Jung-Hoon Sul, Tieneke Trotter

Institution: Central Queensland University

Language: English

Topic: Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,350