Oilseed brassica in India: Demand, supply, policy perspective and future potential

Abstract

India is the largest agrarian subcontinent supporting 26% world’s agricultural population on 12% arable land. India is also the fifth largest vegetable oil economy accounting 7.4% oilseeds, 5.8% oils and 6.1% oil meal production, and 9.3% of edible oil consumption in the world. Oilseeds are the second most important agricultural economy in India next to cereals growing at a pace of 4.1% per annum in the last three decades. Oilseed brassica shares 23.5% area and 24.2% production of total oilseeds in the country. Despite being the third largest producer (11.3%) of oilseed brassica after Canada and China in the world, India meets 57% of the domestic edible oil requirements through imports and ranked 7th largest importer of edible oils in the world. Oilseed brassica achieved significant growth in India in the past, however, the productivity levels are still low owing to large cultivation under rainfed situation, biotic and abiotic stresses, and resources crunch. It is also facing the challenges of low genotypic potential, climate change and price fluctuation. Though, it embraces the immense scope to increase the production in traditional and non-traditional areas in India with proper inputs, technological interventions, and suitable policy framework. This needs to develop strategies in a well-planned, targeted manner with multi-scientific inputs, policy interface and stable price systems to bring the desired growth in oilseeds brassica production, and to reduce the import of edible oils in the country.

A chromosome-scale assembly of allotetraploid Brassica juncea (AABB) elucidates comparative architecture of the A and B genomes

“…Oleiferous B. juncea types are grown extensively in the dry-land areas of South Asia and are a potential crop for other rainfed cropping regions of the world. In India, B. juncea is grown in around 5-6 million hectares of land during the winter growing season 33,34 . Our earlier work identified two distinct gene pools in oilseed mustard -Indian and east European 35,36 .…”

The Use of Genetic and Gene Technologies in Shaping Modern Rapeseed Cultivars (Brassica napus L.)

“…Development of breeding techniques and the genetics and genomics associated technologies described above have improved the quality and agronomic traits of canola varieties, which make the current canola varieties well-suited for expectations of growers, processing sectors, and final users [ 47 , 48 ]. The advent of technologies, including omics technologies, genetic transformation, and genome editing, have facilitated deeper understanding of the physiological and biochemical processes regulating the development of the major phenotypic traits of Brassica oilseed crops, which has brought tremendous improvements in the desirable traits of canola in the last decade [ 49 , 50 ].…”

Novel Bioformulations Developed from Pseudomonas putida BSP9 and Its Biosurfactant for Growth Promotion of Brassica juncea (L.)

“…Canada is the largest producer of mustard and China holds the second largest market share. India ranks third in terms of area and production and fifth according to yield per hectare after Germany, France, Canada and China [ 28 ]. Therefore, in order to meet the ever-growing demands of oilseed in the country, it is important to increase the production of Indian mustard.…”