Speed Breeding Of Mustard Being Undertaken To Develop New Varieties
The technique helps develop new varieties in four to five years instead of the earlier 10 to 12 years.
Published : January 18, 2026 at 1:20 PM IST
Bharatpur: Agriculture scientists are now using the speed breeding technique for developing new varieties of mustard in a short duration while ensuring higher yield, immunity to pests and a better quality.
The Brassica Speed Breeding Facility established at the Indian Institute of Mustard Research (IIMR) at Bharatpur is using modern techniques like speed breeding and genome editing to develop five to six generations of mustard in a single year. This has reduced the time required to develop new mustard varieties from 10 to 12 years to just four to five years.
In-depth research is also underway to find a permanent solution to the parasitic weed Gudiya (Orobanchii) that has emerged as a serious challenge to the farmers. The aim is to make disease resistant and high-yielding varieties available in the future.
Senior Scientist of Biotechnology at the Institute, Dr Prashant Yadav, told ETV Bharat, "The main objective of establishing the speed breeding facility is to develop the maximum number of mustard generations in a single year, thereby accelerating the development of new and improved varieties. Mustard is a rabi crop, typically grown in winter. Traditional farming and breeding systems allow farmers and scientists to harvest only one crop per year."
He said that another option is shuttle breeding, which involves planting mustard during the summer in areas with relatively cooler temperatures. However, even this method allows for a maximum of two crops per year, which is insufficient to meet the pace of modern agricultural research.
Dr Yadav explained that the speed breeding technique provides plants with an artificially controlled environment where light duration, temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration are scientifically controlled. Plants grow rapidly in this environment, and their generation cycle is reduced to 65 to 70 days.
"As a result, it becomes possible to develop five to six generations per year. Currently, mustard crops at this Centre of the Institute are maturing in approximately 70 days, and four to five generations are being harvested annually," he said.
This facility was recently established, and the scientists are refining the protocol so that six generations can be harvested regularly in future.
Dr Yadav explained that developing a new mustard variety using traditional plant breeding methods takes six to seven years. This is followed by selection, testing and evaluation at various sites. This entire process takes 10 to 12 years before a variety is recommended to the farmers.
"However, if speed breeding is combined with modern techniques of marker assisted selection (MAS) and biotechnology, the same task can be accomplished in four to five years. In many cases, new varieties are likely to be developed in even less time," he underlined.
He further explained that farmers face new challenges every year due to climate change, abnormal temperature fluctuations, new diseases and pest infestations. In such a situation, the slow pace of research can prove detrimental to farmers. The speed breeding facility is a powerful means of rapidly developing varieties to adapt to changing environmental factors.
Along with speed breeding, the Institute is also working on genome editing technology that allows for controlled and precise changes to the DNA in the plant genome while enabling the development of desired traits.
Dr Yadav explained that Orobanki (Gudiya) is becoming a serious problem in mustard cultivation. This parasitic weed grows by sucking the sap from mustard roots and causes significant damage to the crop. This is a highly dangerous parasite, and to control it, work is underway to develop resistant mustard varieties using gene editing techniques. In addition, extensive research is also being conducted on diseases such as stem rot.
Institute’s Director Dr Vijayvir Singh disclosed that the facility is also working on a detailed action plan to increase mustard acreage in the northeastern states of the country. Considering the potential of mustard in these regions, new varieties and appropriate technologies are being developed to increase oilseed production.
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