White mustard (Medonos), Dnepropetrovsk region.

White mustard — an annual plant of the cruciferous family, which is one of the most valuable nectar-bearing and honey-bearing plants. Mustard is cultivated in many regions of our country, as it is resistant to frost, tolerates lack of moisture well and grows on almost any type of soil.

The honey productivity of white mustard depends not only on climatic and ecological conditions, but also on the timing of planting.

Studies show that the maximum honey productivity of the plant occurs when sowing in winter and reaches 150 kg/ha.

Depending on the timing of sowing, the honey productivity of mustard has the following approximate indicators:

sowing in September (for winter) — 150 kg/ha
mid-May — 40 kg/ha
the end of May — 60 kg/ha
mid-June — 38 kg/ha
the end of June — 54 kg/ha
mid-July — 36 kg/ha.
Sowing rate: 12–16 kg/ha.Mustard is sown in rows, with a distance between rows of at least 20–25 cm. The honey plant sprouts 4–5 days after sowing, flowering begins 30–40 days, the total duration of vegetation is 80–85 days. After germination of the crop, it is necessary to weed.

Description of the plant. White mustard is an oil-bearing and honey-bearing plant belonging to the cruciferous (cabbage) family. Mustard is an annual plant with a short vegetation period. Honey can be sown in several stages, from the second decade of April to August.
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Features of flowering. The flowering period of the plant is on average 20–25 days. With successive sowing of the crop, flowering can last from June to autumn. Mustard flowers attract bees with their aroma and lemon-yellow pollen, they visit the honey bee all day long, especially in the morning. Mustard is one of the few honey plants from which bees continue to collect nectar even at night.

Each of the flowers of the plant blooms for an average of 2-3 days. On the 3rd day after blooming, the flowers begin to wither, on the fourth day they fall. Flowers begin to open between 6 and 7 o'clock in the morning, closer to 8 o'clock, pollen is shed from the anthers and accumulates on the surface. On the second day of flowering, the flowers begin to open only closer to 9 o'clock in the morning, and on the third day, only some flowers are half-blooming.

Climatic and weather factors affect plant nectar productivity. The optimal temperature for the production of nectar by flowers is 23–29 degrees. At a temperature below 18 degrees, the honey bee stops releasing nectar. The amount of nectar obtained from one flower varies from 0.2 to 0.5 mg. Nectar contains sugar in the amount of 25% of the total volume.

Growing mustard. Honeysuckle prefers loamy soils with a significant content of humus and lime, but it can also grow on other types of soil. The least favorable for mustard cultivation are heavy clay or loose sandy soils.

Honeysuckle requires careful soil preparation. The soil must be plowed in the fall, and in the spring - harrowed and cultivated. In crop rotation, the best predecessors of mustard are fallow crops:cereals, legumes, cereals or perennial grasses.

In the interest of beekeeping and increasing the yield, honey is sown in several stages, usually three of them - in the middle of May, at the end of May and at the beginning of June. Mustard can be planted near apiaries together with legumes.

Useful properties of culture. Mustard powder is obtained from the fruits of the plant, which is widely used in cooking for the preparation of sauces, marinades and various dishes, as well as in medicine for the production of mustard and preparations for foot baths.

White mustard is an oilseed crop, its fruits contain about 30 to 40% oils, the oil has a pleasant tart taste.

White, yellow and gray mustard are phytosanitary crops: they release compounds into the soil that prevent the development of many parasites and diseases (such as late blight, rhizoctoniosis, fusarium rot, wireworm).

In addition, honeydew is a wonderful sideralfertilizer: the green mass of the plant contains a large amount of trace elements. Green mass, crushed and mixed with the soil, contributes to the restoration of soil fertility. Details: https://medoray.top/p1042057393-gorchitsa-belaya.html