Mustard Types:
There are two types of mustard being used in the Columbia Basin: white mustard (Sinapis alba, also called Brassica hirta or yellow mustard), and oriental mustard (Brassica juncea, also called Indian or brown mustard). Commercial varieties are used to produce table mustard, oil, and spices.
The mustards being used for green manures should not be confused with weedy “mustards.” Seed testing has shown that the mustard varieties being used for green manures do not have hard or dormant seed. When planted in August, they have not been seen to set viable seed. The table below shows the different types of mustards.
The weedy mustards are not all mustards but are all from the Brassica family. Black mustard has been cultivated but has weedy characteristics.
| Cultivated Mustards | Weedy “Mustards” |
| White Mustard | Jim Hill Mustard |
| Yellow Mustard | Tumble Mustard |
| Oriental Mustard | Wild Mustard |
| Indian Mustard | Birdsrape Mustard |
| Chinese Mustard | Blue Mustard |
| Brown Mustard | Shepherdspurse |
| Hoary cress | |
| Pepperweed | |
| Wild radish | |
| Black Mustard | Black Mustard |
Seed Sources:
High Performance Seed, 210 E. Third Ave. Suite C PMB 101, Moses Lake, WA 98837-1707, (509) 750-4850
McKay Seed, 2945 Rd N NE, Moses Lake, WA 98837, (509) 766-9894.
Spectrum Seed Development, 57 N Marcellus Rd, Ritzville, WA 99169, (509) 659-1757
Davidson Commodities, Inc. 4407 N. Division St. #811, Spokane, WA 99207, 509-487-0755
Washington Mustard Green Manure Acreage:
Each year local seed companies share their total sales data for Washington to enable us to estimate the mustard green manure acreage. It is a running three year average and is calculated using an average seeding rate of 10 lbs. per acre.
1999: 1,800 acres
2000: 3,600 acres
2001: 5,003 acres
2002: 11,103 acres
2003: 17,777 acres
2004: 21,767 acres
2005: 20,733 acres
2006: 20,993 acres
2007: 21,467 acres
2008: 23,967 acres
2009: 28,167 acres
2010: 30,400 acres
2011: 30,733 acres
2012: 29,038 acres
2017: 25,000 acres