Thrives in areas with hot days and cool nights and is fairly drought resistant. Cultivation Seeds sown in very early spring for spring use and in the fall for winter use. Control of weeds is essential, and 1 to 3 intercultivations may be necessary. When grown for seed, offtype plants should be rogued before flowering. Manure or soil improving crops may also be used.
Nitrogen increases seed yield.
This crop should not follow other Brassica crops in rotation. Plants generally harvested before fruits are fully ripe to reduce shattering, harvesting usually in early morning. Entire plants are either pulled out by hand or cut a few cm above ground with sickles. In India and other places where the seed is the main product, harvesting, threshing, and winnowing are carried out by the family. Extraction of oil from the seed is by rotary mill, expeller, and hydraulic processes.