Mustard Biofumigation Potential Varies by Cultivar: Nuttongii Reached 27.47 µmol/g AITC

When Brassica tissue is damaged, glucosinolates are hydrolyzed by myrosinase into isothiocyanates and other products. A 2024 Scientific Reports study compared South Korean leaf-mustard cultivars to determine how cultivar chemistry changes allelopathic potential.

Sinigrin does not automatically become AITC

Eight locally bred cultivars plus Dolsan control differed in glucosinolate concentration, myrosinase activity and the partitioning of hydrolysis products between allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) and nitriles. Mekomi had the highest sinigrin concentration, whereas Nuttongii had the highest AITC concentration at 27.47 ± 6.46 µmol/g.

Nuttongii strongly inhibited lettuce in an agar bioassay

Freeze-dried mustard material was tested against lettuce germination and seedling growth. Nuttongii combined high AITC with strong inhibition.

This was a laboratory allelopathy assay, not a field biofumigation trial measuring weed control and crop yield. “Plant-derived” also does not mean zero environmental effect: AITC can affect crops, microbes and other non-target organisms depending on dose and soil conditions.

The key practical lesson is that cultivar selection matters because glucosinolate chemistry and hydrolysis fate—not just mustard biomass—control biofumigation potential.

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Reference

• Ko DY et al. Turning glucosinolate into allelopathic fate: investigating allyl isothiocyanate variability and nitrile formation in eco-friendly Brassica juncea from South Korea. Scientific Reports. 2024;14:15423. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-65938-w