How to grow mustard

At a glance

Planting window

Late September – 20 October (irrigated)

Duration

130–150 days

Climate

18–25 °C at sowing; cool, dry winter

Soil

Sandy loam to loam; pH 6–8.5

Water need

Low · about 200–300 mm a season

Seed

1.5–2 kg per acre

Spacing

45 × 15 cm

Yield

7–10 quintals per acre under irrigation.

What to do, and when

Dates assume planting around 5 Oct. Change the plan to shift them.

• 1–3 weeks before — Prepare a fine seedbed: Pre-sowing irrigation on sandy soils.
• Day 0 — Sow: 1.5–2 kg per acre with phosphorus and sulphur.
• Days 15–20 — Thin plants: Keep 10–15 cm between plants.
• Days 30–40 — First irrigation + nitrogen: Before flowering.
• Months 2–3 — Aphid and stem rot watch: Check shoots weekly in December and January.
• Months 2–3 — Irrigate at pod filling: Also before a frost forecast.
• Months 4–5 — Harvest: When 75% of pods turn yellow — later harvest shatters seed.
• Month 5 — Sell: MSP procurement or oil-mill buyers.

Varieties to consider

Buy certified seed or planting material from an authorised source.

• RH 725 · RH 749 · RH 761 — CCS HAU releases widely grown in Haryana.
• Giriraj — ICAR-DRMR variety for timely-sown irrigated fields.

Water

• One or two irrigations: before flowering and at pod filling.
• Never let it go short at: Pre-flowering (30–40 days) · Pod filling (60–80 days)
• A light irrigation before a forecast frost protects flowers and pods.

Nutrition

Sulphur raises oil content — single super phosphate or gypsum supplies it.

• Dose: Irrigated: about 80 kg N, 40 kg P₂O₅ and 40 kg sulphur per hectare
• At sowing: all phosphorus and sulphur with half the nitrogen.
• First irrigation: remaining nitrogen.

Pests and diseases to watch

Prevent first; spray only when needed, with a product registered for the crop, at label dose.

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Yield and economics

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• Price: MSP 2026-27
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Where these numbers come from

• ICAR / state university general recommendation A typical range for irrigated conditions. Your soil test decides the final dose.
• Common grower practice in north India Widely followed by farmers; confirm with your KVK for your block.
• Agriculture Novel indicative estimate A planning number, not a quote. Replace it with your own costs and your mandi’s price.
• Minimum Support Prices, Rabi Marketing Season 2026-27 Government of India, approved 1 October 2025.