Major Mustard Production States in India

Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Assam are major mustard seeds producing states in India.

Health Benefits of Mustard

Some of the health benefits of Mustard are given below.

• Helps in controlling asthma
• Prevents from gastrointestinal cancer
• Helps in weight loss
• Helps in relieving arthritic & muscle pain
• Help in slow ageing (Anti- Ageing)
• Helps in lowering cholesterol & stimulates hair growth

Names of Mustard Cultivars

B-9, B-85, Ulka (Improved)

Soil Requirements for Mustard Farming

Mustard can be grown in wide varieties of soils that range from light to heavy loamy soils. Medium to deep soils with good drainage is best suitable for mustard cultivation. Soil ideal Ph range for Mustard is 6.0 to 7.5. Make sure to carry out a soil test to find out the soil properties like soil type, strength and nutritious levels.

Preparation of Land in Mustard Farming

1 to 2 ploughings and two harrowing should be given as part of field preparation. For second crop cultivation, field should be prepared by giving 2 crosswise harrowing after Kharif crop.

Seed Treatment in Mustard Farming

Seed should be treated with thiram at 3 grams per Kgs of mustard seed to protect the plants from seed diseases.

Sowing methods and seed rate in Mustard Farming

Mustard is usually sown in Oct-Nov months. If mustard crop as pure one, it should be sown by drilling method or if this crop as mixed crop, seeds should be sown by broadcasting or drilling method. Mix the seeds with fine sand for uniform spacing. For better germination, seeds should be sown maximum of 6 Cms depth in the soil. Make sure there is enough moisture present in the soil when seeds are sown.

In pure mustard crop seed rate could be about 2-3 Kgs per acre.

Spacing in Mustard Farming

Spacing of plants should be about 45 Cms x 20 Cms.

Mustard as Mixed Crop

Mustard can be grown as mixed crop with gram, wheat & lentils. If you are planning mustard as an inter crop, one line of mustard and four lines of gram or one line of  mustard and nine lines of wheat should be sown.

Manures and Fertilization in Mustard Farming

7 to 12 tons of farm yard Manure (F.Y.M) per hectare should be added as part of the field preparation. 20 to 25 Kgs P205 and 30 to 35 Kgs N per hectare should be applied in rain fed condition at the time of sowing. 40 to 45 Kgs N, 30 TO 35 Kgs P205 and 20 to 25 Kgs K20 per hectare should be applied below the seed at sowing time of irrigated crop. After 1 month of sowing, 20 to 25 Kgs N per hectare should be applied as top dressing.

Irrigation in Mustard Farming

Pre-soaking irrigations should be given before sowing the seeds. 3 irrigations should be applied @ 4 weeks interval after sowing the seeds.

Weed control /Inter culture operations in Mustard Farming

2 to 3 weeding & 2 hoeing should be given @ 2 weeks interval. Thinning should be done after 2 weeks time interval (in case of pure mustard crop). In cased of mixed crop, mustard crop receives from.

Harvesting of Mustard

Harvesting should be carried out as soon as the pods begin to turn yellow & seed becomes hard. The mustard crop matures in about 110- to 140 days. Harvesting should be done in early morning hours to avoid any shattering of seed use sickle to cut the crop close to the ground.

Post Harvesting tasks in Mustard Farming

Harvested mustard plants should be tied into bundles, keep them in sun for 5- 6 days to dry. Threshing can be carried out by beating the mustard plants with stick. Winnowing is done to separate the grain from husk.

Yield of Mustard

An Average yield of 400 Kgs per hectare can be expected. Under good variety and management actives, Yield can be about 1000 Kgs per hectare.