Mustard | Seed Planting !exclusive!

Mustard seeds prefer:

| Disease | Causal agent | Conditions | Management | |---------|--------------|------------|-------------| | | Alternaria brassicae | Warm, wet (>80% RH) | 4-year rotation; mancozeb at flowering | | White rust | Albugo candida | Cool (10–15°C), wet | Resistant varieties (e.g., 'Andante') | | Sclerotinia stem rot | Sclerotinia sclerotiorum | High canopy humidity | Avoid dense planting; fungicide at 20% flower | | Downy mildew | Peronospora parasitica | Dense foliage, high N | Phosphonate sprays | mustard seed planting

| Species | Target plant population (plants/m²) | Seeding rate (kg/ha) | Row spacing | |---------|--------------------------------------|----------------------|--------------| | S. alba | 100–140 | 6–10 | 15–25 cm | | B. juncea | 120–160 | 5–8 | 15–25 cm | | B. nigra (if used) | 140–180 | 4–6 | 15–20 cm | Mustard seeds prefer: | Disease | Causal agent

| Pest | Damage | Threshold | Control | |------|--------|-----------|---------| | Flea beetle ( Phyllotreta spp.) | Shot-holing of cotyledons | 25% defoliation | Neonicotinoid seed treatment (where legal); pyrethroid spray | | Cabbage seedpod weevil | Larvae consume seeds | 2–4 weevils per sweep | Lambda-cyhalothrin at early pod stage | | Aphids (turnip, cabbage) | Virus vectors; sooty mold | 10–20 per plant | Pirimicarb (bee-safe) | nigra (if used) | 140–180 | 4–6 |

The most pungent variety; often used in traditional Indian cooking. 2. When to Plant Mustard Seeds