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Treatments
Mustard seed can be treated to minimize losses from damping-off and root rot. Seed is also
frequently treated for control of flea beetles when they are forecast to be a problem.
Dates
May 5 to May 31. Seedlings are quite tolerant of frost; therefore, to maximize yields, sow
early in May.
Rates
Yellow Mustard — 7-10 lb/acre to achieve a plant population of 7-11 plants/ft2
(70-110 plants/m2)
Brown and Oriental Mustard — 4-6 lb/acre to achieve a plant population of 7-11
plants/ft2 (70-110 plants/m2)
Seeding rates at the high end of the recommended range should be
used for late seeding, soil prone to crusting or heavy weed
pressure.
Seeding Depth
0.5 to 1.5 inches. Seed should be placed only deep enough to reach moisture.
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Fertilizer Recommendations
for Mustard
For specific recommendations on fertilizer
rates, have your soil tested. Mustard is similar to canola in sensitivity to high rates of
seed-placed fertilizer. Refer to tables 3 and 4 for maximum safe rates of N and P. All
potassium and sulphur should be applied away from the seed. If soil analysis is not
available, a general recommendation is as follows:
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Nitrogen (N): |
Apply 0-30 lb/acre N following fallow or legume breaking, 30-70 lb/acre N following
grass and grass-legume breaking and 70-90 lb/acre N following stubble. High-yielding
mustard requires high nitrogen fertility. The primary nitrogen deficiency symptoms are
yellowing, starting with the older leaves, and thin, spindly stems. |
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Phosphate (P2O5): |
Apply phosphate at 30-40 lb/acre as a sideband or 20 lb/acre with the seed. The
primary phosphate deficiency symptom is poor root development and reduced branching with
thin, spindly branches. |
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Potassium (K2O): |
On sandy textured or organic soils, apply potassium at rates of 30-60 lb/acre.
Deficiency symptoms are stunted growth, with smaller leaves and thinner stems. Eventually
the edges of lower leaves turn brown and drop off. |
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Sulphur (S): |
Apply sulphate sulphur at 20 lb/acre on well-drained soils and grey luvisol (grey
wooded) soils. Sulphur deficiency may occur in many soils and in any area of the province.
A soil test is recommended to determine the available sulphur status of fields. Mustard
requires about twice as much sulphur as do cereal crops. A minor sulphur deficiency is
usually not detected visually, but results in significant yield reductions. Major sulphur
deficiency symptoms are most visible on the newest leaves and start with yellowing. Leaves
showing more severe deficiency symptoms may be cup-shaped, with purple colouration on the
back of the leaves. |
Further information on
Fertilizer use in
Manitoba
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Weeds can reduce both yield and quality of
mustard. Some of the weed seeds that are difficult to remove or cannot be cleaned out of
yellow mustard and cause downgrading are wild mustard, cow cockle, volunteer canola, ball
mustard, dog mustard and stinkweed. Weed seeds causing downgrading for brown or oriental
mustard are cow cockle, pigweed, volunteer canola, cleavers and wild mustard.
Link: How to obtain printed copies
of the Field Scouting Guide and Guide to Crop Protection.
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Grasshoppers, cutworms,
bertha armyworms, flea beetles, and diamondback
moth can damage mustard.
Link: How to obtain printed copies
of the Field Scouting Guide and Guide to Crop Protection.
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Diseases affecting Mustard
Mustard is susceptible to sclerotinia, and
therefore crop rotations that include field beans, field peas, canola, sunflowers and
other sclerotinia-susceptible crops increase the risk of infection of the mustard crop.
All types of mustard are resistant to blackleg.
Also refer to Scouting for Diseases
Crop disease
identification, scouting techniques, economic thresholds.
Link: How to obtain printed copies
of the Field Scouting Guide and Guide to Crop Protection.
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Swathing
Yellow mustard is resistant to shattering and therefore can be straight-combined. If the
crop is to be swathed, seed moisture should be around 25 per cent.
Brown and oriental mustard are less resistant to shattering and are usually swathed. In
order to minimize shattering, swath under dewy conditions.
Brown mustard should be swathed when 60 per cent of the seeds are reddish-brown. Seeds
that are green at this stage will not mature in the swath.
Oriental mustard should be swathed when 75 per cent of the seeds are yellow. Seeds that
are green will not mature in the swath.
Desiccation
Desiccation accelerates plant dry-down, not plant maturity, and therefore should not
be sprayed before the stages indicated for swathing. For detailed information on
desiccation, consult the current Guide to Crop Protection.
Combining
Mustard is considered ready to combine when moisture reaches 12-13 per cent or less and no
green seed can be found. Pickup speed should match ground speed to minimize shattering
losses. Cylinder speed should be about 500-600 rpm; if the cylinder speed is too fast,
seeds will crack. Wind speed should be kept low in order to minimize seed loss with the
chaff.
Straw Management
Mustard straw breaks down quite readily and can be toxic to flax the following year. In
order to minimize seeding problems in the spring, the straw should be spread behind the
combine rather than placed in a row.
Storage
For long-term storage, mustard should be at 9 per cent moisture. Mustard stores best
at temperatures below 20° C.
Once in storage, mustard should be cooled, since the seed continues a high respiration
rate for up to six weeks. This respiration rate creates moist areas (sweating) in the bin
that become hot spots. Mustard should be monitored carefully for heating problems.
For specific information on:
These and other Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives
publications are available from your local extension office under the headings of Crops & Plants, Soil
& Conservation, and Weed, Insect & Disease. Your local GO Office representative can help you
find those resources most relevant to your needs.
Links:
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