Effect of Altenaria blight (A. brassicae) on the composition and quality of mustard (Brassica juncea L.) seeds

Abstract

Disease stress might have profound effect on crop extending to food ready to eat. Keeping this in view the
healthy and diseased seeds were analysed for oil content, fatty acid profile and iodine value of oil. The
nutritional quality index (NQI) was expressed as the ratio of oleic/erucic acid. The fat free meal was
analysed for total protein (TP) crude protein (CP) and non-protein nitrogen (NPN) in 12 genotypes of B.
juncea both the healthy and Alternaria brassicae affected seeds grown and analysed under similar
conditions for comparative performance. The results indicated that oil content varied due to both
genotypes and fungal infection. The oil content varied from 38.4% to 44.0% with the average of 41.3% in
healthy seeds. In case of disease affected seeds, the oil content ranged from 32.9% to 40.5% with an
average of 36.2% indicating a decrease of 12.34% in diseased seeds as compared to healthy seeds. The
fatty acid composition varied only due to genotypes but the disease had little effect. The seed protein
content (TP = true protein) which varied from 39.5% to 46.0% in healthy and 38.6% to 44.5% in
diseased seeds. NPN content tended to increase due disease incidence