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Pusa Bold mustard variety Photo: placeholder pending image-fill pass

Pusa Bold mustard variety

Pusa Bold (variety code BJ-1058) is a bold-seeded Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) variety bred by ICAR-IARI, New Delhi and released in 1985 for the timely-sown irrigated rabi conditions of the north-western and central plains zones. It remains one of the most widely cultivated mustard varieties in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat, accounting for a significant share of the national rapeseed-mustard area decades after release because of its consistent yield, bold seed and high oil content.

Key characteristics

  • Breeder: ICAR-IARI, New Delhi
  • Year of release: 1985 (CVRC notified for zones II and III)
  • Duration: 130-140 days
  • Yield: 18-22 q/ha under irrigated conditions; 12-14 q/ha rainfed
  • Seed size: bold, 5.0-5.5 g per 1000 seeds
  • Oil content: 38-40 percent
  • Plant height: 175-200 cm; profuse branching
  • Recommended zone: north-western plains (Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, western UP, MP) and central plains under timely-sown irrigated conditions

Cultivation

Pusa Bold is suited to the rabi season with sowing between 10 October and 5 November in north India. A seed rate of 4-5 kg/ha is used with 30 cm row spacing, and the variety responds well to 80:40:40 NPK kg/ha with one pre-sowing irrigation and 2-3 irrigations at branching, flowering and pod-filling. Late sowing beyond mid-November reduces yields by 20-40 percent and exposes the crop to terminal heat and peak aphid pressure. Pusa Bold is a non-canola variety with conventional erucic acid (~40 percent) and is mainly marketed for edible-oil expelling and pickle/condiment trade rather than the canola-quality stream.

Pest and disease profile

Pusa Bold is moderately susceptible to mustard aphid (Mustard Aphid Lipaphis) and to Alternaria leaf blight (Mustard Alternaria Blight), and is susceptible to white rust under high-humidity, low-temperature conditions. Routine seed treatment with imidacloprid 70 WS at 5 g/kg, plus need-based foliar spray of dimethoate at the ETL, is the standard prescription. Wherever white rust pressure is high, mancozeb 75 WP at 2.5 g/L or metalaxyl-mancozeb 8+64 WP at 2 g/L is recommended at first symptoms.

Adoption and use

Pusa Bold is one of the most extensively cultivated rapeseed-mustard varieties in India along with Pusa Mahak, Pusa Vijay, RH-30, RH-749 and Varuna. It is the reference yield benchmark in many AICRP-Rapeseed-Mustard trials. Its bold seed commands a price premium of ₹100-300 per quintal over small-seeded local types in mandis of Bharatpur, Alwar, Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Bhind and Morena. With newer thermo-tolerant DRMR lines (DRMR-2018-25/37/41) and CMS hybrids (DMH-1, Coral-432) now being promoted, Pusa Bold continues to anchor the timely-sown segment.

See also: Mustard crop, Mustard aphid, Mustard Alternaria blight, DMH-11 GM mustard, NMOOP oilseeds mission.

Sources

  1. Rapeseed-Mustard Varieties Catalogue. ICAR-Directorate of Rapeseed-Mustard Research, Bharatpur.
  2. IARI Released Varieties. ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.
  3. AICRP-Rapeseed-Mustard PC Report. DRMR, Bharatpur.