Rapeseed and mustard
Also called: Rai, Sarson · Topic: Major Crops of India: Distribution and Conditions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 3 "Land Resources and Agriculture"
Meaning
Rapeseed and mustard are a group of oilseeds. The group includes rai, sarson, toria and taramira. They are subtropical rabi crops, sown in winter. They are frost-sensitive, which means a sharp cold spell with frost can damage them. They grow mainly in north-western and central India. About two-thirds of their area is irrigated, which is a high share for an oilseed. The seeds give mustard oil, a common cooking oil in north and east India.
Example
Rajasthan grows about one-third of India's rapeseed and mustard. In winter, its eastern districts are covered in fields of yellow mustard flowers. Haryana and Madhya Pradesh follow.
Don't confuse with
- Groundnut: this is a mainly rainfed kharif oilseed, and Gujarat leads in it.
- GM mustard (DMH-11): this is one genetically modified hybrid. It was cleared by the GEAC in October 2022, but its use is still under a Supreme Court case.