Cultivation

The name mustard describes the genera Brassica and Sinapis. The white mustard (Sinapis alba) is cultivated worldwide in regions with a moderate climate. Black mustard (Brassica juncea) grows in warm/moderate to subtropical regions.

In 2009, approximately 661.000 tones of mustard seed were harvest worldwide. The main producing countries are Nepal, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Russia, China, and the USA.

Utilisation

In particular the seeds of the respective types of mustard are used as a foodstuff. The leaves are also used to some extent:

• black (also French) mustard (Brassica nigra): as table mustard, mustard oil, mustard flour

• brown (also Sarepta) mustard (Brassica juncea): widespread in Europe, North America, Asia and India. This has virtually replaced black mustard in Europe and North America. Besides its use as table mustard, Sarepta mustard is used in particular to produce cooking oil; in Asia it is also used as a leaf vegetable.

• white (also English) mustard (Sinapis alba): used as a raw material for producing mustard oil, flour and paste (table mustard).

• Ethiopian (also Abyssinian) mustard (Brassica carinata): cultivated mainly in North and East Africa; serves there mainly to produce cooking oil. The leaves are used as a cooked vegetable.

Animal feed:

• white mustard is used in moderate temperature zones as animal feed and as a green fertiliser.

Renewable primary products, energy crops:

• mustard varieties as oil plants, similar to rapeseed, are suitable for the production of industrially used oils (lubricating and motor oils, as a basis for linoleum, cleaning agents and plastics) and fuel.

Gene technology: aims of research and development

Agronomic traits

Weed control

• Herbicide tolerance

Adaptation to climate and location factors

• Salt and heavy metal tolerance

Plant development

• Increased yields (male sterility, production of high-yield hybrids)

Quality traits

Enrichment with health-promoting ingredients, such as:

• carotenoids, which through their antioxidant action are said to prevent cancer

• in particular provitamin A (beta-carotene) as prophylaxis for deficiency diseases
  
  

• modified composition of fatty acids

Renewable primary products

• Molecular pharming: utilisation of gene-modified white mustard plants to produce pharmaceuticals

Field trials with GM-mustard