Everything you need to know about mustard greens cultivation, harvest and production. Learn about:- 1. Introduction to Mustard Greens 2. Origin and Distribution of Mustard Greens 3. Composition and Uses 4. Medicinal Values 5. Cultivation 6. Climate and Soil Required for Cultivation 7. Sowing Time 8. Manurial Requirement for Cultivation 9. Irrigation Requirement for Cultivation and Few Others.
Contents:
- Introduction to Mustard Greens
- Origin and Distribution of Mustard Greens
- Composition and Uses of Mustard Greens
- Medicinal Values of Mustard Greens
- Cultivation of Mustard Greens
- Climate and Soil Required for Cultivating Mustard Greens
- Sowing Time of Mustard Greens
- Manurial Requirement for Mustard Greens Cultivation
- Irrigation Requirement for Mustard Greens Cultivation
- Intercultural Operations of Mustard Greens
- Harvesting and Yielding of Mustard Greens
- Cultivated Varieties of Mustard Greens
1. Introduction
to Mustard Greens:
Mustard is an important oil and condiment crop. It is also popularly known as Rai, Raya, Rayada, Laha, Sarson etc. However, mustard greens are the leaves of the mustard plant. The tender leaves and stalk in early stages are used as green vegetable in the plains and hills of northern India. In addition to providing these wondrously nutritious greens, this plant also produces the acrid tasting brown seeds that are used to extract vegetable oil.
Mustard greens add a pungent and peppery flavor to recipes in which they are featured. Although the mustard greens are available throughout the year but the best-quality greens are at their best and most readily available in the season from November to March.
Mustard greens come in a host of varieties that each has distinct characteristics. Adding these brilliant leaves to food preparations will certainly enhance the beauty of any meal. Most mustard greens are actually emerald green in colour, while some are not green at all but rather shades of dark red or deep purple. The leaves of mustard green may have either a crumpled or a flat texture and may have the toothed scalloped, frilled or lacey edges. Mizuna is one type of mustard green that is often available in stores.
2. Origin and Distribution
of Mustard Greens:
Mustard greens originated in the Himalayan region of India and have been grown and consumed for more than 5,000 years. Like turnip greens, mustard greens might have become an integral part of Southern cuisine during the time of slavery, serving as a substitute for the greens that were an essential part of Western African food ways.
India, Nepal, China and Japan are among the leading producers of mustard greens. However, a significant amount of mustard greens is grown in the United States as well. Among Indian states, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat are the main producers of the mustard greens.
3. Composition and Uses of Mustard Greens:
Composition:
In depth, the nutritional profile of boiled mustard greens includes information on a full array of nutrients available including carbohydrates, sugars, soluble and insoluble fibers, minerals especially calcium, potassium, phosphorous, sodium, magnesium, vitamins such as vitamin A and C, fatty acids and amino acids, however, the nutritive value differs from species to species. The nutritional composition of boiled mustard is given below in Table 24.1.
Uses:
Mustard green leaves are used for preparing curry (Sarson Ka Saag), which is a prominent vegetable in India and in many different cuisines ranging from Chinese to southern Americans. The young mustard greens make great additions to salads as raw. Healthy sauteed mustard greens are served with walnuts and lemon juice.
Adding chopped mustard greens to a pasta salad gives it a little kick. One of the favourite combinations is chopped tomatoes, pine nuts, goat cheese, and pasta and mustard greens tossed with a little olive oil. For a simple meal with a southern flavour, cooked mustard greens are served with beans and rice.
4. Medicinal Value
s of Mustard Greens:
Mustard greens are jam packed with nutrients. They provide good to excellent amounts of protein, dietary fibers, ten minerals, nine vitamins and health promoting phytochemicals, i.e., glucosinolates. In addition, mustard greens are an excellent source of three notable antioxidants- vitamin A (through their concentration of β-carotene), vitamin C and vitamin E.
These three nutrients team-up to scavenge the free radicals, which are excessively interactive molecules that not only cause damage to the molecules with which they interact but also have been linked to a host of different diseases and health conditions.
Beta-carotene and vitamin E exert their protective actions against tree radicals in the lipid-soluble areas of the body, while vitamin C balances out the job by working in the body’s water-soluble environment. By providing antioxidant protection in both the water and fat-soluble areas of the body, mustard greens may offer great benefit to individuals with conditions ranging from asthma to heart disease to menopausal symptoms.
Mustard greens are also a very good source of magnesium, a mineral that helps smooth muscle cells, like those lining the bronchial tubes and lungs, to stay relaxed rather than constricting themselves and the airways of which they are a significant part.
Adding mustard greens to their diets is an approach that many persons with asthma can help improve their health since studies show that magnesium levels are low in many individuals with asthma, hence, the consumption of mustard greens in the USA has been showing an upward trend over the past 20 years, accounting for 16% of all farm cash receipts for vegetables in 1996, up from 13% in 1986.
Mustard greens are also enriched with vitamin A. The persons who are habitual of smoking or exposed to secondhand smoke developed complications associated with emphysema and cancer due to a common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzo (a) pyrene, inducing vitamin A deficiency but that a diet rich in vitamin A such as mustard greens can help counter this effect, thus, greatly reducing emphysema and cancer. There are many people who live to be 90 years old and are smokers because they take vitamin A rich diet like mustard greens.
Mustard greens contain numerous nutrients that can contribute to a healthy cardiovascular system, including the antioxidants, vitamin E, beta-carotene and vitamin C. The vitamin E supplied by mustard greens is instrumental to a host of different mechanisms that reduce the development of atherosclerosis including protecting LDL (bad cholesterol) particles from oxidation and decreasing platelet clumping.
Dietary intake of vitamin E and C is thought to be associated with a compound called paraoxonase, an enzyme that inhibits LDL and HDL oxidation. Beta-carotene like vitamin C is also able to increase vessel dilation and reduce vessel spasm. One study has shown that patients with the lowest level of beta-carotene intake had almost twice the risk of having a myocardial infarction (heart attack) compared to those with the highest intake.
Low levels of vitamin C have also been associated with higher levels of total cholesterol and LDL and lower levels of HDL (good cholesterol). In addition, mustard greens also have concentrated amounts of other nutrients like vitamin B6, folic acid and magnesium that can keep heart healthy. The mustard greens among African and Americans are good sources of phenolic compounds, which can be useful for the prevention of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.
Mustard greens may also be good for women going through menopause since they provide nutrients that are supportive to bone health. They are an excellent source of calcium, a higher intake of which can help to prevent bone loss that usually occurs at this stage of life. Women with osteoporosis also have low bone magnesium content and other signs of magnesium deficiency, so mustard greens would once again be helpful since they also provide concentrated amounts of this mineral.
In addition, the vitamin B6 and folic acid in mustard greens help to reduce the buildup of homocysteine. This plays an important role in promoting bone health since homocysteine can obstruct collagen cross-linking, resulting in poor bone matrix and osteoporosis. Mustard greens provide humans with protection against inflammatory polyarthritis. It also sharpens the memory in old aged persons.
In addition to bone health, the nutrients in mustard greens can help women who are going through this life passage in other ways. Magnesium has also been shown to be helpful in reducing stress and promoting normal sleeping patterns. Vitamin E, which is as an antioxidant found in mustard greens, has also been shown to decrease the occurrence of hot flushes that many women experience around menopause.
Mustard greens are the members of Brassica genus vegetables, which contain phytochemicals known as glucosinolates, members of the organosulfur chemical family, however, mustard greens has a relatively low level of health promoting aryl-glucosinolates compared with other leary Brassica such as broccoli or cauliflower, even when cultivated using reduced levels of nitrogenous fertilizer.
In plants, glucosinolates react with an enzyme called myrosinase, which converts them into related active compounds known as indoles and isothiocyanates that appear to reduce the potential of carcinogens through their ability to modulate liver detoxification enzymes beneficially.
They inhibit certain enzymes that normally activate carcinogens and also induce other enzymes that help to dismantle active carcinogens. Sulforaphane, a compound formed when cruciferous vegetables such as mustard greens are chopped or chewed, is already known to trigger the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer-causing chemicals, inhibit chemically induced breast cancers in animal studies and induce colon cancer cells to commit suicide.
Sulforaphane also helps stop the proliferation of breast cancer cells, even in the later stages of their growth. The bile acid binding value for mustard greens was significantly higher than the binding values for cabbage, bell pepper and collards.
Mustard oil is good for those who have the weak heart as it contains the least amount of saturated fatty acids, making it safe for heart patients. Mustard oil provides both linolenic and linleic acid to the consumer while many other edible oils lack one of the two essential fatty acids.
It contains the lowest amount of saturated fatty acids among the vegetable oils, higher amounts of which form deposits in the arteries, causing heart problems. Glucosinolates, the pungent principle in mustard oil, have the antibacterial, antifungal and anticradiogenic properties, which account for many medicinal utilities of the oil.
Mustard greens are among a small number of foods that contain measurable amounts of oxalates, naturally occurring substances found in plants, animals and human beings. When oxalates become too concentrated in the body fluids, they can crystallize and cause health problems. For this reason, individuals with already existing and untreated kidney or gallbladder problems may want to avoid eating mustard greens.
Mustard greens contain goitrogens, naturally occurring substances in certain foods that can interfere with the functioning of thyroid gland. Individuals with already existing and untreated thyroid problems may want to avoid mustard greens for the reason. Cooking may help to inactivate the goitrogenic compounds found in food.
However, it is not clear from the research exactly what percentage of goitrogenic compounds is inactivated by cooking, or exactly how much risk is involved with the consumption of mustard greens by individuals with pre-existing and untreated thyroid problems.
5. Cultivation of Mustard Greens
:
Farmers in India generally cultivate mustard (Brassica juncea L.) as an oilseed crop in Rabi (winter) season. It is not specially cultivated for the purpose of production of mustard greens only. Mustard greens are mainly removed or detopped (upper top portion of around 20-30 cm) at the young crop stage (40-50 days after sowing) of mustard crop grown mainly as an oilseed crop. This practice of detopping does not cause reduction in seed yield of mustard rather it enhances the seed yield due to increased number of branches.
Experiment conducted at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Bawal, District Rewari (Haryana) during Rabi season of 1997-98 and 1998-99 had shown that detopping at bud initiation stage (40- 45 days after sowing) and removal of 4 lower leaves at 55-60 days stage in mustard on an average caused increase in seed yield to the tune of 9.5 and 7.3% as compared to without detopping and non-removal of lower leaves, respectively.
These above practices can give an additional actual net income of Rs. 7,500-20,000 per hectare to the farmers depending upon weather conditions and prevailing market price of mustard greens. Although, mustard greens (lower leaves around 3-4 per plant) can be collected preferably at bud initiation stage to siliquae formation stage (65-90 days after sowing) for the preparation of Sarson Ka Saag.
Mustard greens can be plucked at vegetative stage (30-35 days after sowing) to harvesting, if available. However, plucking of leaves or stem up to 7-10 days after spraying pesticides is not at all advisable.
6. Climate and Soil Required for Cultivating Mustard Greens
:
Mustard is a crop of tropical as well as temperate zones and requires somewhat cool and dry weather for satisfactory growth. An overall temperature of 25°C is optimum for germination and seedling growth of mustard. It requires bit higher temperature (minimum 20-22°C and maximum 30-32°C) at vegetative phase. The crop requires a fair supply of soil moisture during the growing period and a dry clear weather at the time of maturity.
Cool and clear dry weather with plentiful of bright sunshine accompanied with adequate soil moisture at reproductive phase is the best to increase the production of mustard greens and oil yield. In India, mustard is grown in winter season from September-November to February-April. Mustard is long day plant in periodic response. It is well adapted to the areas, which receive an annual precipitation of 350-450 mm.
Mustard is capable of growing under a wide range of soils varying from sandy loam to clay loam soils but it thrives best on well-drained friable light loam soils rich in organic matter since this crop does not do well on heavy soils. It tolerates neither water logging conditions nor the long- term drought. Plants can tolerate moderate salinity and alkalinity reasonably well but a soil having neutral pH (6.5-7.0) is ideal for its proper growth and development. Excessive alkaline or acidic soils are not suitable for its cultivation.
In mustard greens, pyruvate kinase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase were inhibited while lactate dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were activated in response to salinity stress. The use of mustard greens phytoslurries removed the explosives (TNT and RDX) from water and soil at higher levels than control slurries.
Mustard is grown rain fed mono-crop as well as irrigated crop. Under both the situations, a clean and well-pulverized fine seedbed of good tilth is needed for better germination since it is a small seeded crop. The land should be well prepared by ploughing deep with soil turning plough followed by cross harrowing twice.
Each ploughing should be followed by planking so that the soil may be well pulverized and leveled. Care should be taken to see that weeds and stubbles are well removed from the field and the soil contains adequate moisture to ensure good seed germination.
7. Sowing Time
of Mustard Greens:
Sowing time is the single most important variable affecting the growth and yield of mustard thereby affecting the production of mustard greens. Sowing either too early or too late has been reported to be disadvantageous. Delay in planting reduces the yield of mustard greens and seed on account of its depressing effect on plant growth, flowering duration, seed formation and seed size.
Mustard should be sown from September to first fortnight of November in diverse agro- climatic conditions of India under varied ecological situation, viz. irrigated, rain fed, late sown, early sown and also on salt affected soils. Timely sown crop often escapes insect-pests and diseases.
The seed rate of mustard depends upon the variety used, soil type, soil reaction, soil fertility, soil moisture and weather conditions of the growing region. A seed rate of 5.0 and 3.5 kg/ha is sufficient for growing mustard under rain fed and irrigated conditions, respectively, however, under salt affected soil-water conditions, the seed rate is generally increased by 25%.
Mustard is sown in rows 30 and 45 cm apart under irrigated and rain fed conditions, respectively. The seeds being smaller are usually sown shallow at a depth of about 4- 5 cm using Pora or seed drill. In case of mixed cropping, the seeds are generally sown in rows 1.8-2.4 m apart in the main crop.
Parish and Bracy (1998) recommended a sowing depth of 13- 25 mm to protect against seed-row washout from heavy rain and to provide seed placement in better soil moisture under drought conditions. Before sowing, the seeds are treated with Thiram or Captan @ 2.5 g/kg of seed to protect the crop from root rot and wilt diseases at an early seedling stage.
8. Manurial Requirement
for Mustard Greens Cultivation:
Mustard responds well both to organic and inorganic manure. If available, the farmyard manure or compost is applied @ 15-20 t/ha 3-4 weeks before sowing at the time of land preparation. However, overall the organically and conventionally grown mustard greens do not show significant differences in consumer liking or consumer-perceived sensory quality, i.e., intensity of flavour and bitterness.
For good crop harvest, the nitrogen is applied @ 60-120 kg, phosphorous 30-60 kg, potassium 30-60 kg, sulfur 40 kg and zinc sulfate 25 kg/ha depending on initial soil fertility status in different region of the country. All the fertilizers should be applied based on soil test recommendations.
Under irrigated conditions, half dose of nitrogen and full dose of phosphorus, potash, sulfur and zinc sulfate should be applied as basal dose at the time of sowing by placement method below the seed level, and the remaining half of the nitrogen should be applied at the time of first irrigation.
If the crop is rain fed, the fertilizers doses are reduced to half of the recommended dose of nutrients, and all the fertilizers are applied before sowing at the time of last ploughing. Seed inoculation with biofertilizers (Azospirillum or Azotobacter culture) is also essential since it enhances the growth and yield of the crop.
9. Irrigation Requirement
for Mustard Greens Cultivation:
Mustard is usually raised as rain fed crop on the conserved moisture from monsoon rains (Singh et al., 2001). Good yield of mustard can be obtained if the fields are bunded and leveled before the monsoon and ploughed two to three times during monsoon season followed by planking. Application of bulky organic manures in soil improves the moisture storage capacity of the soil.
For higher yield of mustard greens and seed under irrigated condition, two irrigations, one at pre- flowering (30-35 days after sowing) and second at pod formation stage (70-90 days after sowing), are sufficient. If irrigation facility is available, it should be applied at pre-flowering stage depending on soil type. Irrigated crop is less affected by frost damage. However, excessive watering at later stages of crop growth reduces the yield by inducing secondary flowering and lodging of crop.
Mustard greens have the potential as winter-grown leafy vegetables in drainage water reuse systems, and even the use of moderately saline irrigation waters for the production of mustard greens did not adversely affect crop quality as rated by colour, texture and the mineral nutrient content available to consumers.
10. Intercultural Operations of Mustard Greens:
i. Thinning:
Excessive or too low plant population per unit area is detrimental to yield. This is because the excessive plant population per unit area increases the competition among the plants for nutrients, moisture, space and light, which results in poor plant growth, thereby, decreases the yield, while too low plant population decreases the yield because of loss in plant population per unit area, which could not be compensated.
Therefore, per unit area, an optimum plant population is required to obtain economic yield. For this reason in mustard, thinning is done three weeks after sowing to maintain a plant to plant distance of 10-15 cm.
The critical period of crop-weed competition in mustard is between 25 and 30 days after sowing. Therefore, one hoeing with wheel hand hoe or Kasola at this stage is very beneficial for better growth and development of crop plants. Hoeing also improves aeration into the soil and creates soil mulch, thus, reducing moisture loss through evaporation. In mustard greens, no herbicide is recommended for the control of weeds.
Of the herbicides evaluated, S-metolachlor applied as pre-emergence at 0.45 kg/ha provides the best potential to control the weeds like large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis), goose grass (Eleusine indica), carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata) and common purslane (Portulaca oleracea) in direct-seeded mustard greens in the southeastern United States.
Use of inter-cultivation or mulching on soil surface minimizes the moisture losses through evaporation. Artificial mulching on soil surface with straw, plant residues and plastic films between the mustard rows checks the weed spread by inhibiting weed seed germination and protects the plant roots from extremely low or high temperature.
11. Harvesting
and Yielding of Mustard Greens:
Mustard greens are best if removed/detopped (top portion of around 20-30 cm) at bud initiation stage (40-45 days after sowing) without reduction in seed yield. Although, they can be harvested/ removed (2-4 lower leaves per plant) from vegetative (30-35 days after sowing) to maturity stage, if available. Mustard greens along with stems are harvested with the help of sickles or can be plucked manually.
Bunch size, uniformity and quality of machine-harvested mustard greens were comparable to those obtained from hand harvesting. Harvesting rates of 500-700 bunches per hour per machine row at a ground speed of 0.3 km/h were obtained.
Post-Harvest Management:
i. Washing and Drying:
The easiest way to clean the leaves is to place them in a large bowl under tap water and wash them around with hands. This will allow any sand or dirt to become dislodged. This process is repeated until no sand or dirt remains in the water (usually two or three times).
After washing and drying the mustard greens, small bundles of around 1/2 to 1 kg weight are made for sale directly in the market. The yellow, diseased, or broken leaves, if any, are discarded before making the bundles. The studies demonstrate that each step from production to consumption may affect the microbial load of produce, and hence, it is essential to reinforce the government recommendations for ensuring a high-quality product.
Mustard greens packed in plastic bag are stored and kept fresh for about three to four days in the refrigerator. Mustard greens pickled and canned in vinegar contained lead 4.0 to 10.0 mμg/g, whereas, fresh or bottled products had less lead than the Canadian legal limit of 2 mμg/g.
Sometimes, viral like symptoms appear on the plants resulting in stunted growth, cup-shaped leaves and delayed flowering. The low lying and the areas near the bunds are most affected, although later on, the plants recover automatically up to some extent and flowering takes place. This disorder is probably due to the effect of abiotic stress on the physiology of the plants.
Average yield of fresh mustard greens ranges between 30 and 45 q/ha when the greens are removed along with stems (top portion of around 20-30 cm) at bud initiation stage (40-45 days after sowing), while the average yield of mustard greens ranges from 12 to 15 q/ha when only fresh leaves (3-4 lower leaves per plant) are plucked at 55-60 days crop stage.
12. Cultivated Varieties of Mustard Greens:
For increasing the productivity of mustard greens and oil yield of mustard crop, the improved varieties, which have profuse early growth and capable of giving high yield, should be cultivated.
The characteristics of some important improved varieties of mustard greens with their suitability for different areas of India are given below:
A variety developed at Chander Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh has been released at national level for cultivation in 1975. A bold seeded (5-5.5 g/1000 seeds) fertilizer responsive tall variety with average oil content of 43% is highly stable and good for early as well as late sown conditions.
It is suitable for commercial cultivation in entire mustard growing areas of the country. This variety takes 135-140 days from sowing to maturity and its average seed yield potential is 20-22 q/ha.
A bold and black seeded variety developed at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar has been released for cultivation in 1996. It bears 40% oil content and produces bold and much branched tall plants. Its average seed yield potential is 22 q/ha in a crop duration of 142-145 days. It is recommended for growing in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan under irrigated conditions.
A non-shattering variety developed at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar has been released for cultivation in 1983. It is suitable for late sowing and mixed cropping. Its seeds are bold (5.5-6.0 g/1000 seeds) and brown with an average oil content of 40% and having average seed yield potential of 16-20 q/ha in a maturity period of 130-135 days.
It is recommended for growing under rain fed and irrigated conditions of Haryana, Jammu, Punjab, Northern Rajasthan and Western Uttar Pradesh for normal sowing.
A variety developed at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Bawal, District Rewari (Haryana) in 2002 has been released at national level for cultivation under rain fed conditions of Haryana, Delhi, Punjab and South Rajasthan. It is a tetralocular bold seeded variety with 40-42% oil content. Its average seed yield is 17.73 q/ha in a crop duration of 145- 149 days.
A variety developed at Chander Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh has been released for cultivation in 2005. This variety bears oil content 37-41% and gives an average seed yield of 14.37-16.84 q/ha in a crop duration of 125-130 days. It is recommended for late sown conditions in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
A yellow seeded variety developed at Chander Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh has been released for cultivation in 2000. It bears 40% oil content and gives an average seed yield 14.88 q/ha in a crop duration of 130 days. This variety is resistant to white rust and tolerant to Alternaria blight diseases. It is suitable for cultivation in Uttar Pradesh.
A variety developed at Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal (Haryana) has been released at national level for cultivation in 1997. This variety bears 40% oil content and is suitable for cultivation in sodic and saline soils of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. This variety matures in 135-145 days, and under sodic and saline field conditions, its average seed yield potential is 11.41 q/ha.
A bold seeded early variety developed at Gujarat Agricultural University, S.K. Nagar has been released for cultivation in 1996. It bears 38% oil content and matures in 112 days. Its average seed yield is 24.0-24.7 q/ha. This variety is resistant to powdery mildew and suitable for growing under north Gujarat agro-climatic zone.
A variety developed at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttranchal has been released for cultivation at national level in 1982. It bears 40% oil content, matures in 125-130 days and its average seed yield is 11.07-21.23 q/ha. This variety is relatively more tolerant to Alternaria blight and frost than Varona. It is recommended for cultivation in Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Odisha, Punjab; Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
A variety developed at Chander Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh has been released for cultivation in 2002. This variety is suitable for multiple cropping and early sowing (mid-September) in Uttar Pradesh gives an average seed yield of 20- 22 q/ha in a crop duration of 100-105 days.
A variety developed at Chander Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh has been released for cultivation in 2002. This variety bears oil content of 39-40% and suitable for cultivation under irrigated conditions of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It is resistant to white rust, and its average seed yield potential is from 25 to 29 q/ha in a crop duration of 130-135 days.
A variety developed at Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and Technology, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh has been released for cultivation in 1990. It is bearing 39% oil content and suitable for cultivation in salt affected areas of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. It matures in 125 days, and its average seed yield is 13.33 q/ha.
An early maturing variety with oil content 40% developed at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi has been released for cultivation at national level in 1997. It matures in 95 days, and its average seed yield is 17.18 q/ha. It is recommended for cultivation in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Eastern and North Eastern states.
An early maturing variety developed at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi has been released for cultivation at national level in 2004. It matures in 98-102 days and gives an average yield 5.97-10.49 q/ha. It is suitable for cultivation in Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Jharkhand.
A longer duration variety with oil content 41-43% developed at Agricultural Research Station, Navgaon, Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner has been released for cultivation in 2002. It matures in 135-163 days and gives an average yield 22 q/ha. It is highly resistant to frost and tolerant to high temperature. It is suitable for normal sown irrigated conditions of Rajasthan.
A variety developed at Agricultural Research Station, Navgaon, Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner has been released for cultivation in 2004. A variety bearing oil content 40-41% is suitable for normal sown rain fed situations of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh. It matures in 138-157 days and gives an average yield 16-17 q/ha.
A variety with oil content 43% developed at Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and Technology, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh has been released for cultivation in 1985. It is suitable for cultivation in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Its average yield potential is 22 to 28 q/ha in a maturity period of 125-130 days. Its siliquae are appressed.
A variety with oil content 39-43% developed at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar has been released for cultivation in 2002. It is suitable for irrigated late sown conditions of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, South Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It matures in 123-130 days, and its average seed yield is 13.77 q/ha.
A variety with oil content 38-40% developed at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar has been released for cultivation in 2002. It is suitable for normal sown irrigated conditions of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, South Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal. It matures in 129- 137 days, and its average yield is 21.09 q/ha.