🌾 MUSTARD CROP PRODUCTION GUIDE 🌾
Complete Scientific Package of Practices (POP)
🌱 General Information
Mustard is a fast-growing, cool-season oilseed crop widely cultivated for oil extraction, spice production, and green manure. It is the major rabi oilseed crop of India with oil content ranging from 37–49%.
India is the third largest producer of rapeseed-mustard after Canada and China, contributing around 14% of world production.
Mustard is the second largest oilseed crop in India. It is rich in Vitamins A, C, and K, promotes digestion and lowers cholesterol levels.
In Uttar Pradesh, it is grown in 0.82 mha with production of 0.90 mt. The average productivity is 1141 kg/ha (3.6% lower than national average).
🌤 Climate Requirements
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 10–25°C |
| Rainfall | 250–400 mm |
| Sowing Temperature | 15–25°C |
| Harvesting Temperature | 20–27°C |
🌍 Soil Requirements
Suitable for sandy loam to clay loam soils. Best in light loam with neutral pH (7). Tolerates slightly alkaline soil.
Water requirement: 24–40 cm. Avoid waterlogging. Soil must be well-drained and aerated.
🌾 Improved Varieties
NRCDR 2
Height: 165–212 cm | Maturity: 131–156 days | Yield: 1951–2626 kg/ha | Oil: 36.5–42.5%
Tolerant to salinity & high temperature. Low susceptibility to white rust, Alternaria, Sclerotinia, powdery mildew & aphids.
NRCDR 601
Height: 161–210 cm | Maturity: 137–151 days | Yield: 1939–2626 kg/ha | Oil: 38.7–41.6%
DRMRIJ-31
Height: 180–210 cm | Yield: 2225–2750 kg/ha | Oil: 39–42.6%
DRMR 150-35
Early rainfed variety | Maturity: 86–140 days | Yield: 1828 kg/ha | Oil: 39.8%
DRMR 1165-40
Yield: 2200–2600 kg/ha | Oil: 40–42.5% | Heat & moisture stress tolerant.
NRCYS-05-02 (Yellow Sarson)
Yield: 1239–1715 kg/ha | Oil: 38.2–46.5%
DRMRIC 16-38 (Brijraj)
Late sown irrigated | Yield: 1681–1801 kg/ha | Oil: 37.6–40.9%
DRMR 2017-15 (Radhika)
Late sown | Yield: 1788 kg/ha | Oil: 40.7%
🌟 Popular Timely Sown Varieties
- Varuna (T59) – 1.5–2.0 t/ha
- Kranti – 1.6–1.9 t/ha
- Rohini – 1.5–1.8 t/ha
- Maya – 1.5 t/ha
- Pusa Bold – 1.6–1.9 t/ha
- Urvashi – 1.5–1.8 t/ha
- RH 749 – 2200–2600 kg/ha
- RGN 73 – 2000–2500 kg/ha
🌾 Late Sown Varieties
- Ashirwad – 1600–1900 kg/ha
- Vardan – 1.4–1.6 t/ha
- Swarna Jyoti – 1.5–1.7 t/ha
🧪 Salt Affected Soil Varieties
- NDR 8501 – 1600–1900 kg/ha
- CS 52 – 1500–1800 kg/ha
- CS 54 – 1600–2000 kg/ha
- CS 58 – 1700–2100 kg/ha
🌱 Hybrid Varieties
- NRCHB-506 – 1550–2542 kg/ha
- NRCHB-101 – 1382–1491 kg/ha
- DMH1 – 2050 kg/ha
- PAC 432 – 2300 kg/ha
🚜 Field Preparation
Deep ploughing after previous crop harvest. Two to three ploughings with planking. Furrows kept open overnight to absorb dew moisture.
Paddy straw management using straw chopper or zero-till drill.
🌾 Sowing
Time: Early October to mid-November
Spacing: 30×10 cm (varieties), 45×10 cm (hybrids), 22.5×10 cm (late sowing)
Depth: 2.5–3 cm
🌱 Seed Rate
- Broadcasting: 4–5 kg/acre
- Indian Mustard: 2.5–3 kg/acre
- Yellow Sarson: 2–2.5 kg/acre
- Toria: 3–4 kg/acre
- Gobhi Sarson: 4–5 kg/acre
🧪 Seed Treatment & Inoculation
Thiram/Captan @ 2.5 g/kg seed OR Trichoderma harzianum @ 5 g/kg.
Azotobacter and PSB inoculation increases yield up to 21–37%.
🌿 Manure & Fertilizer
| Nutrient | kg/acre |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen | 32.4 |
| Phosphorus | 16.2 |
| Potash | 16.2 |
Urea: 70.4 kg | SSP: 101.25 kg | MOP: 27 kg
Zinc: 2 kg/acre | Boron: 0.4 kg/acre
Sulphur: 16.2 kg/acre increases oil by 2% and yield by 25%.
💧 Irrigation Schedule
| Irrigation | DAS |
|---|---|
| 1st | 20–25 |
| 2nd | 40–45 |
| 3rd | 60–65 |
| 4th (if needed) | 75–80 |
Critical stage: Crown Root Initiation (CRI).
🌾 Weed Control
Two hand weedings at 25 & 50 DAS increase yield by 12%.
Pendimethalin 30 EC @ 405 g a.i./ha (Pre-emergence).
Clodinafop 15 WP @ 24.3 g a.i./ha (Post-emergence).
🐛 Major Insect Pests
- Mustard Aphid – Neem oil 2%, Dimethoate 1 ml/litre
- Painted Bug – Imidacloprid 70 WS
- Sawfly – Quinalphos 2 ml/litre
- Cabbage Head Borer – Spinosad 0.5 ml/litre
- Gonocephalum sp. – Chlorpyriphos 2.5 ml/litre
- Tanymecus indicus – Phorate 10G @ 10 kg/ha
🦠 Major Diseases
- White Rust – Metalaxyl + Mancozeb
- Alternaria Blight – Carbendazim + Propiconazole
- Sclerotinia – Trichoderma + Carbendazim
- Powdery Mildew – Propiconazole 0.05%
- Downy Mildew – Metalaxyl treatment
- Stem Blight – Resistant varieties + Trichoderma
🌾 Harvesting
Toria: 90–100 days | Sarson: 115–120 days | Rai: 125–135 days
Harvest when 75% siliqua turn yellow. Avoid late harvesting to prevent shattering.
📦 Post Harvest Management
Sun dry 3–4 days. Reduce moisture from 25% to 7% for storage.
Store in cool, dry, ventilated conditions in airtight containers or treated jute bags.
📚 Sources
- Advances in Agronomic Management in Indian Mustard for Eastern Uttar Pradesh
- ICAR-Directorate of Rapeseed-Mustard Research, Bharatpur
- Department of Agriculture, Government of Uttar Pradesh
- AGR 301 :: Lecture10
