Methods for improved sesame agriculture comprising growing a pygmy sesame line homozygous for the py/py recessive pygmy allele and a character selected from non-dehiscence or improved non-dehiscence are disclosed.Pygmy sesame plants homozygous for the py/py recessive pygmy allele and a character selected from non-dehiscence or improved non-dehiscence, and a method for breeding the same, are disclosed.