Many sarson pods on my plants are empty or burst open and drop seed before I can harvest. What is causing this.
Why are my mustard pods staying empty or shattering before harvest?
SSatbir Singh Yadav7mo ago · 288 views
4 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓6mo ago
Empty mustard pods often come from poor pollination, aphid damage at flowering, sulphur or boron shortage, or heat and moisture stress during pod set, while shattering before harvest is usually due to harvesting too late when pods are over-dry, or some shatter-prone varieties. To reduce both, ensure good sulphur nutrition, control aphids at flowering, avoid moisture stress at pod fill, and harvest at the right stage when pods turn yellowish but before they dry fully and split, then stack and thresh promptly. Shatter-tolerant varieties also help. Confirm variety and nutrient plan with your KVK and Soil Health Card.
RRohtash Yadav6mo ago
I started harvesting a little earlier when pods just turned yellow, then dried the bundles on the threshing floor. My shattering loss dropped a lot.
DDharambir Singh6mo ago
For the empty pods, controlling aphids at flowering was the fix in my field. The year I let the aphids build up on the flowering shoots, those parts of the plant set hardly any seed. Protect the flowers and pod fill from the aphids and the pods fill much better.
MMahipal Yadav6mo ago
Harvest early in the morning when there is some dew, the pods are slightly softer and shatter less while you cut and carry. Cutting in the dry afternoon heat made the pods burst and drop seed in my field. Morning cutting plus prompt stacking saved a good amount of grain.