Division of Genetics, IARI, New Delhi, 110 012.
Pusa Mustard 21 (LES-1-27) [Notification No.SO 1703 (E) dated 05.10.2007] is an Indian mustard [(Brassica juncea Czern & Coss. (L.)] variety released by the Central Sub Committee on Crop Standards, Notification and Release of Varieties for Agricultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India in its 46th meeting held on 18th August, 2007 for cultivation in Northern and Western Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Western Uttar Pradesh (Zone II). It was also identified for entire Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Kota Division of Rajasthan (Zone-III) during the 15th Annual AICRP Rapeseed Mustard Group Meeting held at OUA&T, Bhubneshwar from 7–9 August, 2008.This variety was developed at Division of Genetics, IARI, New Delhi.
Most of the Indian popular varieties have >40% erucic acid, which is undesirable from health point of view. Therefore, a programme to introgress low erucic acid trait in popular conventional varieties of Indian mustard was initiated during 1995–96. The genotype Pusa Mustard 21 was developed through backcross breeding from the cross Pusa Bold*6/ZEM-2. Pusa Bold is one of the most popular varieties of Indian mustard under cultivation in whole of the country since 1985. It is a bold seeded widely adapted and stable genotype. The donor ZEM-2, an exotic germplasm, tall with late maturity producing small seeds with low oil and zero erucic acid (<2% erucic acid) content. Phenotyping for low erucic acid was done in each backcross generation and plants with the background of Pusa Bold with low erucic acid were selected for further backcrossing. The fatty acids were analyzed by gas liquid chromatograph Model Perkin Elmer Claurus 500. Selected bulks from BC6 generation were evaluated in augmented design with three popular checks viz., Pusa Bold, Varuna and Kranti. About 11 uniform and well performing advance lines having zero erucic acid content were tested along with the above mentioned checks in Station Trial during 2001–02. LES-1-27 was numerically at par with the best check Varuna for seed yield. The Initial Varietal Trial (Quality Mustard) was conducted at multi-location during 2002–03 in Zone II and III and it was promoted to AVT-I in both the zones. The strain was again tested in AVT I and II at 32 locations over four years (2002–06) in the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Madhya Pradesh. The weighted mean of LES-1-27 (21.11 q/ha) in Zone II at 13 locations was higher to checks, Varuna (28.4%), Kranti (11.4%) and to zonal check, RL-1359 (7.12%); whereas its weighted mean (18.60 q/ha) in Zone III was higher to check(s), Varuna (30.0%), Kranti (1.8%) and to zonal check(s) Rohini (22.1%) and Maya (5.9%) at 19 locations. The oil contents were also better to Varuna but numerically at par with Kranti, RL-1359 and Rohini.This variety has also recorded 35.6% and 37.4% average oil content in Zone II and III, respectively. Erucic acid contents in oil were less than 2% at almost all the locations as compared to national and zonal checks (>40%) in both zones. The seed yield in agronomical trials was at par with the checks, Varuna, Kranti and Maya under different fertility levels at different locations in both the zones.
LES-1-27 is a medium maturing variety of Indian mustard taking around 142 days in Zone II and 134 days in Zone III for maturity. Its leaves are simple, light green in colour and pubescent.The stem is also of light green colour, which shrinks at maturity. The siliqua is of medium size having 12–17 seeds of small size (4.3 g/1000 seeds).The plant height ranges from 145 to 165 cm in both the zones and it produces 4 to 8 primary branches/plant with high number of siliquae. Pusa Mustard 21 exhibited moderate tolerance against Alternaria leaf blight and pod blight, powdery and downy mildew under natural and artificial epiphytotic conditions and also to Sclerotinea stem rot under natural conditions as compared to check Varuna.
