A REVIEW ON BRASSICA JUNCEA: INDIAN MUSTARD

Abstract

India is the fourth largest oilseed economy in the world after USA, China and Brazil. There are seven edible oilseeds cultivated in India and among them rapeseed-mustard contributes approx. 30 % in the total oilseeds production and ranks second after groundnut sharing 27.8% in the India’s oilseed economy. There is vast diversity in the agro climatic conditions in India and different species of rapeseed-mustard are grown in some or the other part of the country. There is a big gap between requirement and production of mustard in India mainly because of the poor socio-economic condition of Indian farmers engaged in the cultivation of Indian Mustard. The need of the hour is effective management of natural resources, integrated approach to plant-water, nutrient and pest management and extension of rapeseed-mustard cultivation to newer areas under different cropping systems.This will increase and stabilize the productivity and production of Indian mustard. This paper reviews about the advancements in proper land and seedbed preparation, optimum seed and sowing, planting technique, crop geometry, plant canopy, appropriate cropping system, integrated nutrient management to meet the ever growing demand of oil in the country and to achieve the goal of production of 24 million tons of oilseed by 2020 AD.