Pusa Bold
Early and bold-seeded with roughly 40% oil content — the reliable choice on light, low-moisture soils.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Mustard
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 110–115 days
- Seed rate
- 1.5 kg per acre as a sole crop. A bold-seeded mustard has fewer seeds to the kilo, so check germination and plant stand rather than assuming the bag will cover the acre
- Expected yield
- 18–20 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Sandy / light soil
- Disease resistance
- Susceptible to white rust and Alternaria blight
- Release
- Released 1984, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Pusa Bold was released by ICAR-IARI, New Delhi in 1984 and is still grown for its early maturity and bold, oil-rich seed. It matures in roughly 110–115 days with about 40% oil content, and its seed became a reference parent in the low-erucic-acid, canola-quality mustard breeding that came after it.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick Pusa Bold if your field is light and dry and you need the crop off early — in 110–115 days, the shortest-duration mustard compared here, three weeks or more ahead of RH 749, NRCHB 101 and Varuna. It gives 18–20 q/ha of bold, dark-yellow seed, ahead of Varuna's 15–18 but well short of the newer varieties. Its oil share is a shade above Pusa Mustard 32's 38%, the only other mustard here that lists one, though PM 32's is the low-erucic canola-quality oil, so the premium goes the other way. Sow 7.5 kg/ha in lines, or 10 kg/ha broadcast. It is susceptible to white rust and Alternaria blight, so scout from flowering, especially after unseasonal rain or heavy dew. Choose PM 32 or NRCHB 101 if you have irrigation and want a much higher yield, and RH 749 if disease is the regular problem on your farm.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeMid-October to mid-November (PAU raya window)
- Seed rate1.5 kg per acre as a sole crop. A bold-seeded mustard has fewer seeds to the kilo, so check germination and plant stand rather than assuming the bag will cover the acre
- SpacingRows 30 cm apart, plants 10–15 cm apart after thinning at three weeks
- Sowing methodSow 4–5 cm deep with a drill or pora, after inoculating the seed with Pseudomonas putida MLE8 at 250 g per acre
- IrrigationPre-sowing irrigation of 10–12 cm, then one at 3 to 4 weeks, and a second at flowering if required (PAU)
- Fertilizer40 kg N and 12 kg P2O5 per acre irrigated, 15 kg N and 8 kg P2O5 rainfed. Prefer single superphosphate, which brings sulphur with the phosphorus — mustard needs it for oil (PAU)
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Management notes
- Scout for white rust and Alternaria from flowering onward, especially after unseasonal rain or heavy dew
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Among the earliest-maturing mustard releases still in use — useful where the rabi window is tight after a late kharif harvest
- Bold, oil-rich seed (around 40% oil) that mills quote a premium for over thinner-seeded types
- Well suited to light, low-moisture soils where heavier-yielding varieties struggle
Things to consider
- Yield ceiling (18–20 q/ha) is lower than newer releases such as RH 749 on a decent loam
- An older release (1984) — it lacks the canola-quality (low erucic acid, low glucosinolate) trait bred into more recent Pusa mustard lines
- Susceptible to white rust and Alternaria blight in a humid year — needs timely fungicide scouting like most non-resistant releases
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Rajasthan
- Haryana
- Punjab
- Uttar Pradesh
When the rabi window is short and the soil is light
Pusa Bold is among the earliest mustards still in use, 110–115 days, bold-seeded, with about 40% oil, and it is the sensible pick on light, low-moisture soil where a longer variety would run out of water before it filled.
Use that earliness deliberately. Where a late kharif harvest leaves you only a short rabi window, an early mustard still completes; where the field is free on time and the soil is a decent loam, RH 749 has the higher ceiling and is the better choice. Note also that this variety is susceptible to white rust and Alternaria blight, so sow on time rather than very late, keep the crop from standing damp, and watch for white blisters on the undersides of leaves during cool, humid spells.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
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 101 | Late-sown irrigated mustard in Zone III and Zone V | 135–140 days | 25–28 q/ha | Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh |
| Pusa Boldthis page | 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 Pusa Bold mustard?
An early-maturing, bold-seeded mustard variety released by ICAR-IARI, New Delhi in 1984, still grown for its oil-rich seed.
What is the seed rate for Pusa Bold?
About 7.5 kg/ha for line sowing, or 10 kg/ha if broadcast.
How many days does Pusa Bold take to mature?
About 110–115 days, among the earliest-maturing mustard varieties still in use.
What is the oil content of Pusa Bold?
Around 40%, in bold, dark-yellow seed.
Which regions are suitable for Pusa Bold?
Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, especially on light, low-moisture soils.
Why choose a 40-year-old variety like Pusa Bold?
For its timing and its seed. At 110–115 days it clears the field early, which suits light soil that runs out of moisture, and the bold seed with about 40% oil sells well to crushers. Newer varieties yield more, but most of them need irrigation and a longer season to do it.
Can I save my own Pusa Bold seed?
Yes, it is an open-pollinated variety, not a hybrid, so seed from a clean crop comes up true. Keep seed from disease-free plants only, because this variety takes white rust and Alternaria easily and infected seed carries the problem forward.
When should I spray Pusa Bold for white rust?
Start watching at flowering and act on the first white blisters on leaves or swollen flower stalks, especially after unseasonal rain or heavy dew. Waiting until the pods are forming is too late for this variety, because it has no resistance of its own.
What row spacing and thinning suit Pusa Bold?
Rows 30 cm apart, with the plants thinned to 10–15 cm at about three weeks. On light soil this matters more than usual, because too many plants will run the moisture out before the pods fill.
Is Pusa Bold a sensible choice on light soil with little water?
That is what it is here for. It is an early mustard at 110–115 days, listed for sandy soil, so it finishes before the moisture runs out. The trade-off is 18–20 q/ha, below the 22–25 q/ha of RH 749 and the 27–33 q/ha of PM 32, both of which expect better land and water.
Sourced from: Package of Practices for Rabi Crops, Punjab Agricultural University: raya sowing window, seed rate, spacing and thinning, seed inoculation, fertiliser for irrigated and rainfed crops, and irrigation. editorial policy.