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Introductiion

Introduction

Scientific Name : Brassica spp.
Family : Brassicaceae
Centre of Origin :

Rape seed and Mustard crops are being cultivate in 53 countries spreading over the six continents across the globe covering an area of 24.2 million hectares with an average yield of 1451 kg/ha ranging from 411 (Russian Federation) to 6,250 kg/ha (Algeria) and netted the total production of 35.1 million tonnes. India’s contribution to world hectare and production is 28.3 and 19.8 per cent respectively.

Rape Seed-Mustard is the most important oilseed crop of Sikkim. In Sikkim, this oilseed is cultivated with sole motive of obtaining edible oil as almost all state population utilize this oil as main edible oil, thus it has so much importance. The total cultivated area under this crop is around 6000 hectares producing 4000 tonnes with an average yield of 737 kg/hectare (1998-99).

In India, rape seed-mustard is cultivated on 6.86 million ha in Rabi season (Sept/Oct. to March/April thorough out the country, mainly in North Plains. The crop distribution in different states of India is as follows:

  • India Mustard (Brassica juncea): Assam, Bihar, Haryana, H.P., J&K, M.P., NE States, Orrisa, Punjab, Rajasthan, U.P.W.B. & Maharatra.
  • Brown Sarson (Brassica Brassica var. brown sarson): H.P., Kashmir Valley. 
  • Yellow Sarson (B. Brassica var. yellow sarson): Assam, Bihar, U.P., W.B. and North Eastern States particularly Meghalaya and Sikkim. 
  • Toria (B. Brassica var toria): Assam, Orrisa, W.B., Meghalaya, Tripura, Haryana, H.P., Jammu, M.P., & Rajasthan; 
  • Taramira (Eruca sativa Mill): is confined to drought prone area of Haryana, H.P., Punjab and Rajasthan 
  • Gobhi Sarson (B. napus) & Karan Rai (B. carinata): H.P., Haryana, Punjab & Rajasthan.

The major rape seed-mustard growing states are Haryana, M.P., Rajasthan and U.P. representing 81 percent of the national average and contributing 82.9 per cent to the total rape seed-mustard production. Rajasthan is the largest rape seed-mustard growing state and alone contribute 38.2 per cent to the production of the country from 39.3 per cent area. The other states with substantial average and production are Assam, Gujarat and West Bengal. In Sikkim, it is cultivated in an area of 6,000 ha, producing 4,000 tonnes with an average yield of 737 kg/ha (1998-99).

The oilseeds sector made significant progress both in area expansion and production during the Technology Mission with an increase of 41% in area; 113% in production and 65% (570 to 931 kg/ha) in productivity. The ICAR institutes and SAUS have and released about 91 varieties and hybrids under various oilseed crops since the inception of Technology Mission on Oilseeds in 1986 till 1995-96.

Botany: Mustard belongs to the family Cruciferae, genus Brassica. The plants are annual herbs 45 to 150 cm in height. The description of the plant parts is as follows:

Root: The mustard plant bears normally long and tapering roots but the roots of ‘toria’ are more or less a surface feeder as the root system has limited working depth with an extensive lateral spread.

Stem: The height of stem varies from 45 cm in ‘toria’ to about 150 cm in yellow ‘sarson’. The stem, including leaves, are covered with waxy deposit known as ‘bloom’, however, some mutants in ‘toria’ yellow ‘sarson’ and brown ‘sarson’ are bloomless.

Leaf: The leaves are usually auricled and stem clasping, though the rape leaves are generally characterized by lyrate pinnatipartite form and there is great variation in shape on account of depth of incision in the margin, number of lobs and shape & size of terminal lobe also differ to a great extent. Sarson and toria possess glabrous and hairy leaves however; the extent of hairiness differs from variety to variety.

Inflorescence and flowers: Brassica has a corymbose raceme. The size of flower varies from variety to variety. The arrangements of petals also differ from type to type viz. in case of yellow ‘sarson’ four petals are spaced apart while in case of brown ‘sarson’ and ’toria’ they may be overlapping or spaced apart depending upon the variety. The petals may be narrow and incurved usually found in case of yellow ‘sarson’, or broad and spreading. The color of petals may be deep yellow, yellow to pale yellow or creamy white. The petals generally shed on the third or fourth day of flowering.

Fruits: The mustard fruit is a siliqua. The pods or siliqua are two-valved, three-valved or four-valved depending upon the number of carpels in the ovary. The four-valved pods are two-loculed, because of presence of a false septum but in case of four-valved pods the septa may be absent and the pods become uniloculed. Usually the fruit stalks may stand at 30 to 100 angle and they look appressed along the main axis or the fruits may bend down completely and make the pods pendant. Sometimes pods form an angle of 500 or more and they are described as spreading. Toria and brown sarson possess appressed to spreading pods while yellow sarson has pendant pods. The pods are usually straight with smooth surface having short and stouts beaks.

Seeds: The seeds color may be yellow or brown depending upon variety. The yellow color may be pale yellow, yellow or deep yellow as in case of yellow toria or yellow sarson. In the same manner the brown color may be dark reddish-brown, reddish surface is usually smooth in yellow sarson but it may be rugose in brown sarson and tori. The seed varies from 455 to 245 per gram weight.

Classification of rapeseed and mustard: There are two main sub-division of the oilseed rape, belonging to the species: rape (Brassica napus), turnip rape (Brassica campestris). Brown sarson (Brassica juncea), is also grown in considerable area in India. The inter-relationship between the principal Brassica sp. is complex and there are three primary species. Brassica napus and Brassica campestris both have annual and biennial varieties which differ physiologically in that the latter does not flower until exposed to a very long temperature. Brassica juncea, a brown Indian mustard, is mainly adapted and grown in considerably large are for oilseed purposes. Thus the nomenclature is not fully standardized and understood due to which there are many synonyms and its classification is in a confused state e.g. the Brassica napus varieties were formerly described as Brassica campestris and are so described in recent literature. Following are the important species that are commonly grown:

Commonly grown species of rapeseed and mustard

Species Common name Local name
Brassica juncea Coss Indian mustard Rai or laha
B. juncea var. rugosa Rugosa Pahari rai
B. nigra Koch Black mustard Banarsi rai
B. campestris L. var. yellow mustard Turnip rape Yellow sarson
B. campestris L. var. Brown mustard Turnip rape Yellow sarson
B. campestris L. var. Toria Indian rape Toria or lahi

The main identifying characters of three main types of mustard are given below:

Differences between yellow and brown sarson:

Yellow sarson Brown sarson
Lowermost first two leaves :
Lamina prominent up to base of the  leaf. Color and texture of leaves: Lamina partially absent in basal half.
Dark, glaucous, freshy. Pale, glaucous, thin.
Branching :
Branches, erect, ascending, straggling plants absent.The primary branches arise from 100 to 200 angle of shoot. Rather erect to spreading straggling plants occasionally present. The primary branches arise at 230 to 430 of shoot.
Corolla :
Diameter 14* 15 to 17* 16 mm. Average lengths of claw plus blade is 10.2 mm. length of claw is 3.2 mm and width of petal is 5.1 mm. petals narrow with spaces between adjacent ones. Diameter 15*16 to 20*19mm. average length of claw plus blade is 11.4 mm. Length of claw is 3.6 mm and width of blade, 7.1 mm. petals broad generally overlapping.
Anthers :
All the six anthers introrse in the bud and in open flower All the six anthers are introrse in the bud but in the open flower the anthers of four median stamens are extrorse.
Pods :
Thick and broad, never torulose. Thin and narrow,sometimes torulose.
Seeds :
Dingy white or yellow, non–mucilaginous. Dark brown, brown or reddish brown, mucilaginous.
Fertility :
Self fertile. Highly self fertile.
Maturity :
One week later in flowering and maturity At least a week earlier in flowering and maturity.

Differences between brown sarson and toria :

Brown Toria
Leaves and stem :
At lest lower leaves and lower part of the stem are more or less hairy, leaves thin Leaves and stems glabrous, leaves somewhat fleshy.
Seeds :
Dark colored, mucilaginous Light colored, non-mucilaginous
Maturity :
Flowers and matures at least a fortnight later than toria if sown at the same time. Flowers and matures at least a fortnight earlier than brown sarson when sown at the same time.
Period of growing :
It is sown in Oct/Nov. and harvested in March/April as rabi crop. It is a late kharif season crop sown in September and harvested in December.
Cultivation & uses :
May be grown mixed mostly as rainfed. It is used as oil seed, fodder, vegetable oil and preferred for culinary purpose. Grown alone and irrigated for oil purpose; plants are not good for vegetable purpose oil is used for culinary purpose only.

Source: Indian Rape and mustard by Dr. D.P. Singh, pp. 4-5

Characteristic features of some important types :

Yellow and brown sarson (Brassica napus var. glauca and var. dichotoma): It is widely grown in north and central India. There are two main types yellow and brown sarson so named because of its seed color. It is high yielding than ‘toria’ and brown sarson and also from yellow ones. The crop is sown in October and Harvested in March/April after about 150-160 days time.

Brown or Indian mustard (Brassica juncea): It is very widely grown in India. The crop is swon in October/November and harvested in March/April after about 110-160 days period. This type gives better yield than Brassica napus.

Toria (Brassica napus var. toria): It is grown as an autumn crop. This variety is susceptible to clod and is sown early in middle or late September and takes about 75-100 days to mature. The variety is obviously low yielding but it responds to irrigation and adequate fertilization.

Indian mustard (Brassica juncea): It is grown in very limited areas. It has very low oil context into it but the main purpose of its cultivation is to use it as condiment.

Taramira (Eruca sativa) It is relatively of recent introduction into India. It is believed to be native of south Europe and North Africa. It is relatively a low yielding cruciferous oilseed crop grown in northern India and very often grouped with rape and mustard crops. The variety is particularly adapted to poor soils and low rainfall areas.