Introduction

Rapeseed and Mustard are important oilseed crops grown in India. These crops belong to the Cruciferae (Brassicaceae) family and are cultivated primarily for their oil-rich seeds. The oil extracted from these seeds is widely used for cooking, industrial purposes, and medicinal applications.

Botanical Classification

• Family: Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)
• Genus: Brassica
• Species:
  • Brassica juncea (Indian Mustard)
  • Brassica rapa (Field Mustard or Toria)
  • Brassica napus (Rapeseed)
  • Eruca sativa (Taramira)
  • Brassica carinata (Ethiopian Mustard)

Economic Importance

• Oil Production: Seeds contain 30-48% oil, used for cooking, industrial purposes, and biodiesel production.
• Cake/Meal: The residual oilcake is used as cattle feed and organic manure.
• Nutritional Value: The oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, reducing cholesterol levels.
• Medicinal Uses: Mustard oil has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Industrial Uses: Used in soap making, lubricants, and cosmetics.
• Soil Improvement: Green manure increases soil fertility.

Climatic Requirements:

• Grown as a rabi crop (winter season) in India.
• Requires a cool and dry climate for optimal growth.
• Temperature:
  • Germination: 10–25°C
  • Vegetative growth: 15–25°C
  • Flowering & Seed setting: 15–22°C
• Susceptible to frost, which can damage flowers and reduce yield.
• Rainfall: 250–400 mm is ideal. Excessive rainfall leads to fungal diseases.

Soil Requirements:

• Grows best in loamy to sandy loam soils with good drainage.
• pH range: 5.5 to 8.0
• High salinity and waterlogging are not suitable.

Varieties

Some popular varieties include:

• Brassica juncea: Pusa Bold, Varuna, Kranti
• Brassica rapa: T-9, PT-303
• Brassica napus: GSL-1, Hyola-401
• Eruca sativa: Taramira-1, RTM-314

Cultivation Practices

Land Preparation

• Ploughing: 2-3 deep ploughings followed by harrowing.
• Leveling: Ensures uniform moisture distribution.

Sowing

• Time:
  • Rainfed areas: Mid-September to early October.
  • Irrigated areas: Mid-October to mid-November.
• Method: Broadcasting or line sowing (30 cm row spacing).
• Seed Rate:
  • Mustard: 4-6 kg/ha
  • Toria: 5-7 kg/ha
  • Rapeseed: 2-3 kg/ha

Nutrient Management

• NPK Requirement: 60:30:30 kg/ha (N:P:K)
• Zinc and Sulfur: Essential for oil synthesis; apply 20-30 kg S/ha.
• Organic Manures: FYM (Farmyard Manure) at 10-15 tons/ha.

Irrigation

• Critical Stages:
  • Pre-flowering
  • Flowering
  • Pod development
• Irrigation Frequency: 2-3 irrigations during the crop cycle.

Weed Management

• Manual Weeding: 2-3 hand weeding at 20-30 days after sowing.
• Herbicides: Pendimethalin @ 1 kg/ha (pre-emergence) + post-emergence weed control if necessary.

Pest and Disease Management

Major Pests

• Aphids: Spray Imidacloprid 17.8% SL @ 0.25 ml/L.
• Mustard Sawfly: Spray Malathion 50% EC @ 1 ml/L.
• Painted Bug: Use Chlorpyrifos 20% EC @ 2 ml/L.

Major Diseases

• Alternaria Blight: Mancozeb 75% WP @ 2 g/L.
• White Rust: Metalaxyl 8% + Mancozeb 64% WP @ 2 g/L.
• Powdery Mildew: Sulfur dusting @ 20 kg/ha.

Harvesting and Yield

• Harvesting Time: 110-140 days after sowing when pods turn yellow-brown.
• Yield:
  • Mustard: 12-18 q/ha
  • Toria: 10-15 q/ha
  • Rapeseed: 15-20 q/ha

Post-Harvest Management

• Threshing: By beating or mechanical threshers.
• Storage: Seeds should have <8% moisture content for safe storage.
• Processing: Oil extraction by mechanical pressing or solvent extraction.

Manures and Fertilizers

• Organic Manure: 12-15 tons of FYM per hectare.
• Soil Fertility: Under irrigated conditions, if the preceding crop is heavily manured, brassicas can be grown on residual soil fertility.
• Nitrogen Requirement: Varies from 20–160 kg/ha depending on soil type, rainfed or irrigated conditions, and yield potential of the variety.
  • 30-60 kg/ha under dryland conditions.
  • 100-120 kg/ha under irrigated conditions.
  • ICAR recommendation: 40 kg N/ha for toria, 60 kg N/ha for sarson, and 80 kg N/ha for raya.

• Phosphorus Requirement:
  • One tonne of rape/mustard removes 9-11.3 kg phosphorus.
  • 20 kg/ha P2O5 is sufficient for rainfed crops.
  • 50 kg/ha P2O5 for irrigated crops.

• Potassium Requirement: Response is uncertain, but in highly K-deficit soils, 20 kg/ha K2O is recommended.
• Application Timing:
  • Half of nitrogen at sowing, remaining half at first irrigation.
  • Whole phosphorus and potassium applied at sowing.

• Sulphur Requirement:
  • Higher requirements for sulphur.
  • Nitrogen should preferably be applied through ammonium sulphate, and phosphorus from single super phosphate.
  • In coarse-textured soils, 20-20 kg S/ha is suggested.
  • Higher sulphur application may increase glucosinolates.

• Micronutrient Requirements:
  • Zn and Boron play a positive role in increasing raya yield.
  • In rice fallows, 25 kg ZnSO4 applied to rice is sufficient for the succeeding brassica crop.
  • 2 kg boron/ha is sufficient, especially on saline soils.

Irrigation

• Due to scanty winter rainfall, brassicas show a favorable response to irrigation.
• About 60% of the total area under brassicas is irrigated, with raya being the most responsive to irrigation.
• Water Requirement:
  • Rape and mustard require 450–600 mm water.
  • Usually grown utilizing residual monsoon moisture in medium to heavy soils.

• Irrigation Scheduling:
  • Two irrigations are beneficial for toria, yellow sarson, and raya.
  • Delay the first irrigation as much as possible to promote branching, flowering, and fruiting.
  • First irrigation: Advanced flowering stage.
  • Second irrigation: Fruiting stage.

• Water-Saving Techniques:
  • Ridge and furrow system results in a 20% saving in irrigation water while increasing yield.

Weed Control

• Brassicas are fast-growing crops and rarely experience a second flush of weeds.
• Early-stage weed control is crucial to prevent serious yield losses.
• Weeding Recommendations:
  • 2-3 weedings necessary.
  • First weeding along with thinning.
  • Remaining weeding at fortnightly intervals.
  • One intercultivation at three weeks after sowing is beneficial.
• Chemical Weed Control:
  • Pre-plant incorporation (PPI) of Fluchloralin @ 0.5-0.75 kg/ha.
  • Pre-emergence application:
    • Isoproturon 0.75-1 kg/ha.
    • Oxadiazon 0.5-0.75 kg/ha.
  • Post-emergence herbicides are rarely used due to the smothering effect of brassicas.

Harvesting and Threshing

• Maturity Duration:
  • Toria: 80-100 days (mid-December to mid-January, depending on sowing time and variety).
  • Rai: 110-180 days.
  • Yellow sarson: 130-160 days.
  • Brown sarson: 105-145 days.

• Harvesting Practices:
  • When the crop is ripe, leaves turn yellow.
  • Plants are uprooted or harvested using sickles.
  • Sarson is less prone to shattering, while mustard should be harvested just before pods open to prevent seed loss.
  • Threshing is done by beating with sticks.
  • Seeds should be dried for a couple of days before storage.

Yield and Quality Considerations

Average Yield:

• • Rapeseed and mustard: 500 kg/ha.
  • Toria: 800-1000 kg/ha.
  • Rai: 12-15 q/ha (highest yielder).

• Oil Quality Considerations:
  • Seed color varies (yellow, black, white, or brown) based on cultivar.
  • Yellow-colored seeds have thinner seed coats and higher oil content.
  • Brassica oilseeds contain 30-48% oil in air-dried seeds.
  • Oil color ranges from yellow to brown.
  • Anti-nutritional factors like erucic acid are present in traditional varieties.
  • Low-erucic acid (<2%) varieties have been developed.
  • Canola Varieties:
    • <2% erucic acid in oil.
    • <30 micromoles/gram glucosinolates in oil meal.

• • For Edible Use:
    • Less linolenic acid (<3%).
    • Higher linoleic acid (>30%) for prolonged cooking and higher shelf life.

• • For Industrial Use:
    • Higher erucic acid (>60%) for applications like lubricating oil, fossil fuel, and diesel additives.