Improved Production Technology for Sustainable Mustard Cultivation in the EasternIndo-Gangetic Plains

This study evaluated the impact of location-specific improved production technology on the productivity and water use efficiency of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss.) grown on Old Alluvial Soils in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains during the rabi seasons of 2022–23 and 2023–24, with the objective of promoting sustainable production management. The Indian mustard cultivar B-9 (Benoy) was cultivated in both years. The experiment comprised nine treatment combinations (T1–T9). Treatments T1–T8 incorporated improved production technologies, while T9 represented the control following traditional farmer practices. Treatment T8, involving seed treatment with Carbendazim, application of well-decomposed cow dung manure, Trichoderma viride, Pseudomonas fluorescens, recommended fertilizer dose, micronutrients, timely irrigation, residue retention, and integrated management of weeds, pests, and diseases, recorded the highest seed yield (1627and 1631 kg ha-1 in 2022–23 and 2023–24, respectively), reflecting 129.8% and 128.4% increases over the control. This treatment also provided 248.3% and 219.7% higher net returns over the control during the respective years, with benefit–cost ratios ranging from 1.91 to 1.97. Water use efficiency under T1–T8 (13.34–17.24 kg ha-1 mm-1) exceeded that of the control (10.14 kg ha-1 mm-1), demonstrating superior resource utilization and water savings. Overall, the integrated management approach employed in T8 proved agronomically effective, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable, presenting a promising pathway for enhancing mustard productivity, profitability, and resource-use efficiency in the studied agro-climatic zone.