Abstract
Two years study was made on variability in 42 indigenous and exotic varieties of sesame. With very few exceptions, highly significant differences were found between the varieties for the 15 characters investigated. A wide range of phenotypic and genotypic variability was exhibited by all characters except oil, protein and moisture, and 9 out of 15 characters gave heritability estimates exceeding 80 per cent. To relate heritability values to other genetic parameters, a ‘rank procedure’ showed that the characters followed one another in a definite order.