NRCHB 101
From ICAR-DRMR Bharatpur — India's first released mustard hybrid, built on male sterility, still the yield benchmark for later mustard hybrids.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Mustard
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 135–140 days
- Seed rate
- 1.5 kg per acre is the rate PAU gives rapeseed-mustard sown alone. Hybrid seed must be bought fresh each season, so order early rather than cutting the rate
- Expected yield
- 25–28 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Moderate white rust and Alternaria blight tolerance
- Release
- Notified around 2008–2009 · ICAR-DRMR (now ICAR-IIRMR), Bharatpur · Zone III & Zone V, late-sown irrigated
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
NRCHB 101 was bred by ICAR-DRMR (now ICAR-IIRMR), Bharatpur as a hybrid built on the institute's own moricandia cytoplasmic male-sterility system — the technology that made India's first released mustard hybrid possible. It was notified around 2008–2009 for late-sown, irrigated cultivation across Zone III (Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and parts of Rajasthan) and Zone V (Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Chhattisgarh). In AICRP front-line demonstrations across Rajasthan it has averaged around 2,122 kg/ha, a reported 19–20% gain over the varieties it replaced.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick NRCHB 101 if your mustard goes in late after paddy or cane and you have water for it. The notification is for exactly that — late-sown irrigated conditions in Zone III (Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, parts of Rajasthan) and Zone V (Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Chhattisgarh). It takes the same 135–140 days as RH 749 and Varuna but gives 25–28 q/ha, against 22–25 for RH 749 and 15–18 for Varuna, and in front-line demonstrations across Rajasthan the gain over the varieties it replaced was reported at roughly a fifth. Its white rust and Alternaria tolerance is only moderate, so RH 749 is the one to take if disease is your regular problem. It is a hybrid, so buy fresh seed every year. Choose PM 32 if you sow on time in Zone II and want canola-quality oil, and Pusa Bold if the field is light and dry and you need an early crop.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeMid-October to mid-November for Indian mustard (PAU raya window)
- Seed rate1.5 kg per acre is the rate PAU gives rapeseed-mustard sown alone. Hybrid seed must be bought fresh each season, so order early rather than cutting the rate
- SpacingRows 30 cm apart, plants thinned to 10–15 cm three weeks after sowing
- Sowing methodSow 4–5 cm deep with a drill. Even depth and even spacing matter more with bought hybrid seed, because every missing plant is money already spent
- IrrigationPre-sowing irrigation of 10–12 cm, one irrigation 3 to 4 weeks after sowing, and a second at flowering where water allows (PAU)
- Fertilizer40 kg N and 12 kg P2O5 per acre under irrigation, with half the nitrogen at sowing and half at the first irrigation. A hybrid only returns its seed cost if the nutrition is there to back it (PAU dose for raya)
- HarvestingIn AICRP front-line demonstrations across Rajasthan, NRCHB 101 has averaged around 2,122 kg/ha, a reported 19–20% gain over the varieties farmers were previously growing
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- India's first released mustard hybrid — the reference point later hybrid mustard breeding is measured against
- Built on the institute's own moricandia CGMS system, developed specifically for reliable hybrid seed production in Indian mustard
- Demonstrated a 19–20% yield gain over farmers' existing varieties in AICRP front-line demonstrations across Rajasthan
Things to consider
- Recommended specifically for late-sown, irrigated conditions in Zone III and Zone V; performance outside that sowing window and those zones is less established
- Being a hybrid, fresh seed needs to be bought each season rather than saved from the previous harvest
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Rajasthan
- Haryana
- Uttar Pradesh
A hybrid asks for fresh seed and the right sowing date
NRCHB 101 was India's first released mustard hybrid, built on male sterility. Two practical things follow. Seed kept from your own crop will not come up like the hybrid did, so buy fresh certified seed each season. And it is recommended for late-sown, irrigated conditions in Zone III and Zone V, not as a general-purpose mustard.
Match it to that window on purpose. It suits the field that comes free late — after paddy, after cotton, after a late kharif harvest — where a timely-sown variety would already be out of its window. If your field is free on time and you have irrigation, compare it against a timely-sown variety before paying hybrid seed rates. Outside Zone III and Zone V, ask your KVK what the local trials showed, because the recommendation does not carry over on its own.
Where the planting material comes from
This is a hybrid, so seed kept from your own harvest will not breed true. The next crop comes up uneven in height, maturity and yield. Buy fresh certified seed every season and keep the bag tag until harvest.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Mustard variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRCHB 101this page | Late-sown irrigated mustard in Zone III and Zone V | 135–140 days | 25–28 q/ha | Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh |
| Pusa Bold | Early, bold-seeded mustard on light soil with little water | 110–115 days | 18–20 q/ha | Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh |
| Pusa Mustard 32 (PM 32) | Canola-quality mustard oil from a timely-sown irrigated Zone II field | 132–145 days | 27–33 q/ha | Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir |
| RH 749 | North-west mustard where white rust and Alternaria keep coming back | 135–140 days | 22–25 q/ha | Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh |
| Varuna (T 59) | A steady, familiar mustard for medium soils and low spending | 135–140 days | 15–18 q/ha | Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Mustard is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Mustard plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Mustard variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Mustard into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Mustard in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Mustard rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Mustard seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What is NRCHB 101 mustard?
India's first released mustard hybrid, bred by ICAR-DRMR (now ICAR-IIRMR), Bharatpur using the institute's own moricandia male-sterility system.
When was NRCHB 101 released?
Notified around 2008–2009 for late-sown, irrigated cultivation in Zone III and Zone V.
What is the yield of NRCHB 101?
AICRP front-line demonstrations across Rajasthan have averaged around 2,122 kg/ha, about 19–20% above the varieties it replaced.
Which regions are suitable for NRCHB 101?
Zone III (Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, parts of Rajasthan) and Zone V (Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Chhattisgarh), under late-sown irrigated conditions.
Can I keep seed from NRCHB 101 for the next rabi?
No. It is a hybrid built on a male-sterility system, so seed from your own crop gives a mixed, uneven stand and much less yield. Buy fresh hybrid seed each year, or grow an open-pollinated variety like Pusa Bold or Varuna if saving seed matters to you.
NRCHB 101 or Pusa Bold for a late-sown field?
NRCHB 101 was notified for late-sown irrigated conditions and gives 25–28 q/ha, but it needs water and fresh hybrid seed. Pusa Bold finishes in 110–115 days and suits light, low-moisture soil, giving 18–20 q/ha. With irrigation, sow NRCHB 101; without it, Pusa Bold's short duration is the safer escape from a hot March.
Does NRCHB 101 still need white rust sprays?
Its tolerance of white rust and Alternaria blight is moderate, not full resistance. Keep scouting from flowering, especially after unseasonal rain or heavy dew, and be ready to spray if patches appear.
What row spacing and thinning does NRCHB 101 need?
Rows 30 cm apart, and thin the plants to 10–15 cm about three weeks after sowing. Thinning feels wasteful and is the step most often skipped, but a crowded mustard row makes thin stems, small siliquae and a crop that goes down in the first strong wind.
What has NRCHB 101 actually given in demonstrations?
In AICRP front-line demonstrations across Rajasthan it has averaged around 2,122 kg/ha, a reported 19–20% gain over the varieties those farmers were growing before. That is a demonstration average on farmers' fields, which is a fairer guide than the 25–28 q/ha potential.
Sourced from: ICAR-DRMR Bharatpur — Rapeseed-Mustard Varieties Developed, Package of Practices for Rabi Crops, Punjab Agricultural University: raya sowing window, seed rate, spacing and thinning, sowing depth, fertiliser and irrigation. editorial policy.