Spices and Condiments (1+1)

Harvesting and yield

• Based on the varietal durations of mustard, it matures between 80- 120 days. Usually, the mustard crop is harvested as soon as 75% of the pods turn yellowish and moisture content of the seed is around 40%. At this stage, the majority of the seeds will be firm when pressed between the fingers. The oil content in the seed is the maximum at this stage. To minimise shattering losses, the crop should be harvested preferably in the morning when the pods are slightly damp with the night dew. Harvesting too soon, when the moisture content of the seed is more than 45% (green watery stage), drastically reduces the yield, oil content and seed viability.
• Bundles of the harvested plants are stacked and dried in the sun for a few days. Threshing is done by the usual method of treading by bullocks or by running a tractor over the dried plants spread on the threshing yard. The seeds are separated by winnowing. The moisture content of the seeds must be less than 8% at storage time. The yield per hectare ranges from 600-900 kg of seeds in rain-fed crops and from 900-1300 kg in irrigated crops.