Mustard (Rapeseed) Cultivation Guide: Sowing, Irrigation & Yield

Updated 2026-07-10 · Crop guides

Mustard is a low-input, high-value rabi oilseed that fits well after the monsoon crop. It tolerates limited irrigation and cool weather, but two things decide the crop: sowing on time, and stopping the mustard aphid. Here is the practical guide.

Sowing time and seed rate

• Sow in the cool part of the rabi window (roughly mid-October); late sowing runs into aphids and terminal heat and cuts yield sharply.
• Seed rate is low — around 4–5 kg/ha; sow shallow (about 3–4 cm) in rows ~30 cm apart and thin to the right plant stand.
• Treat the seed and choose a variety suited to your zone and to irrigated vs rainfed conditions.

Irrigation

Mustard needs little water but responds strongly to irrigation at two stages: flowering and siliqua (pod) development. If you can give only one or two irrigations, give them here — it is the difference between an average and a good crop.

Mustard aphid — the make-or-break pest

The mustard aphid can devastate the crop at flowering, sucking sap and coating the plant in honeydew. Scout from flowering onward. Yellow sticky traps help monitor, and a need-based insecticide spray when aphids cross the threshold protects the pods. Encourage ladybird beetles, which eat aphids.

Harvest

Harvest when the plants turn yellow and the lower pods start to dry but before they shatter — mustard pods shatter easily and drop seed if left too long. Cut in the cooler morning hours to reduce shattering loss.