Effect of Nitrogen and Sulphur Application on Yield and Fatty acid Composition of Mustard (<i>Brassica juncea</i> L.) Oil

Abstract

Abstract The effects of nitrogen and sulphur on the yield and fatty acid composition of mustard ( Brassica juncea L.) oil were studied in a field experiment. Significantly higher grain and oil yields were obtained with N and S application. Applications of nitrogen up to 60 kg ha −1 and sulphur up to 40 kg ha −1 favourably influenced the grain yield. Increasing levels of N decreased the oil content while application of sulphur improved the oil content. The contents of linoleic and linolenic acid were maximum (16.82 and 8.73%, respectively) with 60 kg N along with 40 kg S ha −1 . No use of fertilizers led to higher contents of undesirable fatty acids such as palmitic (hypercholesterimic) and erucic (do not have food value) acids.