Effect of Nitrogen and Sulphur on Growth, Yield Attributes and Yield of Mustard (Brassica juncea L.)

A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2023–24 to study the effect of nitrogen and sulphur on growth, yield attributes, and yield of mustard (Brassica juncea L.) under semi-arid climatic conditions of Rajasthan. The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized block design with three replications, comprising four nitrogen levels (0, 60, 90, and 120 kg N/ha) and four sulphur levels (0, 10, 20, and 30 kg S/ha). The soil was sandy loam in texture, low in available nitrogen and sulphur, medium in phosphorus, and high in potassium. The results revealed that the increasing levels of nitrogen and sulphur significantly improved growth parameters such as plant height, number of branches per plant, and dry matter accumulation. Yield attributes including the number of siliquae per plant, siliqua length, seeds per siliqua, and test weight also increased substantially with higher nitrogen and sulphur levels. The highest seed yield (22.5 q/ha) and straw yield (53.4 q/ha) were recorded with 120 kg N/ha + 30 kg S/ha, representing 68.3% and 55.1% increases over the control, respectively. The interaction between nitrogen and sulphur was found significant for most parameters. The findings suggest that the combined application of 120 kg N/ha and 30 kg S/ha optimizes growth and yield performance of mustard under similar soil and climatic conditions.