This paper aims to review the research achievements concerning sustainable sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) production and outlook on the production constraints and future perspectives for Myanmar sesame. Sesame is an economically and nutritionally important crop, and it is prized for oil. The global sesame market demand is rising with increasing health awareness. Meanwhile, there is high competition in the market among producing countries for an international trade. Smallholder farmers in developing countries cultivate sesame as a cash crop on marginal soils. The edible oilseed sectors currently face several challenges, including ones affecting sesame crops. For sustainable production of sesame, an integrated approach is needed to overcome these challenges and the critical limiting factors should be identified. In recent years, sesame genomic resources, including molecular markers, genetic maps, genome sequences, and online functional databases, are available for sesame genetic improvement programs. Since ancient times, sesame has been cultivated in Myanmar, but productivity is still lower than that of other sesame producing countries. Myanmar sesame production is limited by many factors, including production technology, research and development, etc. With integration of these genomic resources, crop production and protection techniques, postharvest practices, crop improvement programs, and capacity building will play a crucial role for improving sesame production in Myanmar.

Drought severely limits plant productivity, and understanding its regulatory mechanisms remains essential. Here, we characterize Lipid Transport Superfamily-Polyketide cyclase/dehydrase (LTS-PYL), a PYR/PYL/RCAR-domain gene, using Arabidopsis overexpression and CRISPR-Cas9 genome-edited lines to elucidate its role in drought adaptation. LTS-PYL overexpression enhanced early seedling growth, increasing root length (RL) by 40% and 31%, whereas genome-edited lines exhibited severe defects, including 42%, 28% reductions in fresh weight and 63%, 50% decreases in root length relative to WT-T. Under drought stress, overexpression lines displayed strong growth and reproductive resilience, with shoot length (SL) increased by up to 80%, silique length (Sil L) by 61%, and seed number doubled compared with WT-T. In contrast, genome-edited lines showed marked reductions in these traits, confirming their drought sensitivity. LTS-PYL overexpression strongly suppressed oxidative stress, reducing H₂O₂ by 74% and 68% and O₂⁻· by 39% and 38%, while increasing relative water content (RWC) by 42% and 39%. Genome-edited lines exhibited elevated (H₂O₂, O₂⁻·) and up to 33% lower RWC. Antioxidant capacity was also strengthened in overexpression plants, with catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities increasing by 138%, 168% and 62%, 148%, and malondialdehyde (MDA) and electrolyte leakage (EL) reduced by 23%, 37%, relative to WT-T. Conversely, genome-edited lines showed weakened antioxidant defenses and higher membrane damage. Transcriptionally, overexpression activated drought-responsive genes, elevating LTS-PYL (604%, 472%), DREB2A (227%, 200%), and ABA levels (48%, 34%), whereas genome-edited lines showed strongly reduced expression and ABA decreases of 66%, 62%. Additionally, LTS-PYL enhanced osmotic adjustment, increasing proline (58%, 53%), sugars (37%, 46%), and sucrose (111%, 100%), while limiting chlorophyll (Chl) loss to 9%, 20%. Genome-edited lines exhibited reduced osmolytes and severe chlorophyll decline. Overall, LTS-PYL acts as a strong positive regulator of drought tolerance, integrating ABA signaling, osmotic adjustment, ROS detoxification, and transcriptional activation.

The taxonomic placement of Schweinfurthia has been debated, with traditional classifications placing it in Scrophulariaceae while molecular evidence suggests affinity to Plantaginaceae. We sequenced and analyzed complete chloroplast genomes of Schweinfurthia papilionacea ( 153,238 bp) and S. imbricata (153,206 bp) to resolve this taxonomic uncertainty. Both genomes exhibited typical quadripartite structure with large single-copy regions (LSC: 83,703 − 83,769 bp), small single-copy regions (SSC: 18,087 − 18,089 bp), and inverted repeat regions (IRa/IRb: 25,680 − 25,723 bp each). We identified 132 - 133 unique genes in each species, including 88 protein-coding genes, 36 - 37 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods with 42 taxa strongly supported (bootstrap support > 95%, posterior probability > 0.95) the placement of Schweinfurthia within Plantaginaceae, sister to the Antirrhineae tribe. Comparative genomic analysis revealed 98.7% sequence similarity between the two Schweinfurthia species and identified 10 variable sites. Codon usage analysis showed preference for A/T-ending codons (64.2% in S. papilionacea, 64.8% in S. imbricata). These comprehensive chloroplast genomic data provide definitive molecular evidence supporting the transfer of Schweinfurthia from Scrophulariaceae to Plantaginaceae, resolving a long-standing taxonomic controversy.