Yellow Sarson / Brassica rapa var. yellow sarson

Distinct Brassica species with yellow seeds and highest oil content (43–45%) among Brassica oilseeds. Shorter duration than Indian mustard (90–110 days), ideal as catch crop. Dominant in eastern India with strong GI potential for regional spice/oil markets; traditionally used for tempering and pickling.

Key facts

Figures are indicative, compiled from public agricultural sources (ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities, the Spices Board and the National Innovation Foundation) and vary with soil, season and management. Confirm with your local package of practices.

Yellow Sarson / Brassica rapa var. yellow sarson in detail

Yellow sarson (Peeli Sarson) is a distinct, self-pollinated Brassica rapa form with golden seeds and high oil content among Indian rapeseed-mustard types, grown mainly in eastern India and valued for tempering and pickling.

Origin & story

Yellow sarson is a self-pollinated (largely self-compatible) cultivated form of Brassica rapa, the diploid progenitor of Indian mustard (B. juncea). Variety development and coordination involve ICAR institutes, notably ICAR-Directorate of Rapeseed-Mustard Research (DRMR), Bharatpur, together with State Agricultural Universities. According to an ICAR-DRMR monograph, 21 yellow sarson varieties had been notified in India up to 2023-24, the first being T 151 (YST 151) in 1978; other released varieties include Benoy (B 9), YSH 0401, Pitambari and NRCYS 05-02. It is traditionally cultivated across Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and other north-eastern states.

How it grows

Yellow sarson is a short-duration crop, with many varieties maturing in roughly 90-130 days, which suits it as a catch crop or fit into cropping sequences, particularly in eastern India where it is grown as a rabi (winter) crop. It can follow rice and be sown under reduced or zero tillage. Cultivation extends across Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and the north-east, with secondary areas in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Bundelkhand (Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh), parts of Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Quality & character

Yellow seeds with high oil content, generally reported at 43-45% and up to about 49% in some varieties, among the higher levels in Brassica oilseeds. The crop is self-pollinated and largely self-compatible. Reported fatty acid composition of yellow sarson oil includes linolenic acid 15.9-21.0%, oleic acid 10.7-18.9% and a high erucic acid content of 39.6-57.3%. Seed coat colour is reported to be controlled largely by a major QTL, of interest in breeding.

Why it matters to buyers

Used widely for tempering (tadka), chutneys, pickles and curries, with a mild flavour relative to black or brown mustard. The yellow seed colour is often preferred for retail and pickled goods. Reported major glucosinolates in the seed/oil meal include gluconapin, glucobrassicanapin and glucobrassicin. High oil recovery supports oilseed economics in eastern markets where supply chains are established. Note that yellow sarson oil is high in erucic acid, which is relevant for end-use and labelling.

Other mustard varieties

• Varuna
• Kranti
• Pusa Bold
• Rohini
• Pusa Jagannath
• Pusa Mustard 25
• Pusa Mustard 26
• Pusa Mustard 28
• Pusa Mustard 30
• Giriraj
• NRCHB-101
• RH-749