Mustard Types, Seed Sources, & Acreage Estimates

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