Mustard is globally an oilseed crop that provides essential edible oil and industrial raw materials, particularly in regions like South Asia, Europe, and Canada, where it plays a critical role in agricultural economies and food industries. However, worldwide biotic and abiotic stresses pose major challenges to mustard production. Advances in conventional breeding techniques, genetics, and biotechnological tools hold immense potential for developing improved mustard varieties. This review elucidates the evolution of mustard breeding, moving from conventional approaches to advanced molecular tools that allow for precise genetic modifications, enhancing mustard resilience and yield. It highlights the roles of phenotypic and genotypic selection, molecular markers, transgenics, and genomicsassisted breeding in augmenting mustard improvement endeavours. The promise of emerging technologies like genome editing and systems biology is discussed for mustard genetic enhancement and climate-resilient varietal development. The review emphasizes the need of collaboration among research institutions, public-private partnerships, and international networks to accelerate, sustainable mustard improvement efforts.
