Growing a Green Gram: Moonlight Farming for Beginners

Green gram (mung dal) cultivation is very popular in India and some other South Asian countries. And it is one of the major pulse crops in India.

It is very nutritious and an excellent source of protein as well as fiber and iron. It is also an excellent source of calcium, phosphorus and many vitamins.

And the lunar dal/green gram can be a very important source of protein for people in certain areas where animal protein is scarce.

Green vegetables (Vigna radiata) actually belong to the legume family. It is an annual vine with yellow flowers and fluffy brown pods.

The pods are about 5 inches long, contain 10 to 15 seeds, and range in color from yellowish brown to black. And the seeds also vary in color from yellow, brown, mottled black or even green.

Green gram is most often used as an ingredient in savory and sweet dishes.

Bangladesh, India, China, Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Asia and Southeast Asia are the major countries and regions where green gram is mainly grown.

origin

According to Wikipedia, the green gram is native to the Indian subcontinent, where it was domesticated as early as 1500 BC.

A charred green gram has been discovered at many archaeological sites in India. Areas with earliest discoveries include the eastern Harappan zone in Punjab and Haryana, where finds date back around 4,500 years, and southern India in present-day Karnataka, where finds date back over 4,000 years. year.

Cultivated green grasses have been introduced to South and East Asia, Africa, Austronesia, America and the West Indies.

Other names for GreenGram

Green gram is also known by many other names in different parts of the world. It is also called mung bean, maash, mung bean, golden gram, dou onion, lutou, moyasimamae, orud, chop suey, etc. In India, green gram is also known by different names in different local languages. His name is Moong in Hindi, Mogu or Mogu dail in Assamese, Mug or Mug dal in Bengali, Mag in Gujarati, Pacchesaru or Hesaru Bele in Kannada, Cherupayar in Malayalam, Mug in Marathi, Muga or Muga dali in Oriya, Moongi in punjabi. , Mung Eta in Sinhala, Pachai Payaru in Tamil, Pesara Pappu in Telugu, Padengi in Tulu and Moog in Konkani.

How to Start Growing Green Gram

Growing a green gram is very easy. And you can start growing a green gram, even if you’re a beginner.

Here we outline more information about growing green gram from planting, care to harvest.

Choose a location

First, you need to choose a good place to grow green gram. Green grams can be grown just about anywhere, but they do very well in well-drained soil in full sun.

prepare the terrain

Green gram plants can be grown in a wide variety of soils. But well-drained, loamy or sandy soils are considered good for growing green vegetables. Saline and waterlogged soils are not suitable for growing green spaces.

To prepare the soil and bring the soil to shallow plowing, 2-3 plowings are required. Sheathing is done after each ploughing. When preparing the land, try to remove weeds from the field.

Apply all fertilizers during plowing or tillage. For commercial production, apply approximately 10 to 12 kg of urea and 80 to 100 kg of superphosphate per acre in land preparation.

Climatic Requirements for Growing Green Gram

A hot and humid climate with a temperature range of 25°C to 35°C, with moderate rainfall of 850 to 1000 mm, is considered the best condition for the growth of green gram.

Best time to grow green gram

The green gram is the harvest of the summer season. It can be grown as a kharif and also as a spring crop.

The first two weeks of July are the optimal time to sow Kharif. And from March to April is the optimal time for summer sowing.

Choose the variety

There are many green varieties available. Some of the popular varieties in India are PS 16, Mohini, Pusa Baisakhi, Jawahar 45, ML 1, TMB 37, SML 668, PAU 911, ML 818, ML 2056, RUM-1, HUM-12, BM-4, PDM. -54, JM-72, PDM-11 and K-851.

You can choose any variety depending on availability in your area. You can also consult local farmers or agricultural experts for good recommendations.

Buy seeds

After choosing a variety, you need to buy seeds in any market near you.

Green gram is very common in India and its seeds should be readily available in your area. You can also order seeds online.

Seeds per acre

For a summer harvest, you will need about 12-15 kg of seed per acre. And for harvesting the Harif season, you will need about 8-9 kg of seeds per acre.

planting

You can either scatter the seeds across the field or plant in rows. For planting in rows, mark several rows in the ground after leveling it.

Space the rows 10 to 12 inches apart. Sow seeds about 4 inches apart for a Kharif crop and about 3 inches apart for a summer crop.

Sow the seeds about 1 inch deep. The seeder/pora/kera methods can be used to sow the seeds.

Before sowing in the field, treat the seeds with a fungicide or insecticide.

You can treat the seeds with captan or thiram at the rate of 3 grams per kg of seeds. Light watering after sowing the seeds will help them germinate faster.

Care

Green gram plants generally require less care and maintenance. But extra care will go a long way in growing green gram plants.

Here we describe more information on the steps to grow a green gram.

Fertilizer: In most cases, you don’t need to apply additional fertilizer to grow a green gram.

Watering: Green gram is mainly grown as a kharif crop. Water the plants as needed based on weather conditions. Summer crops require 3-4 waterings, depending on the type of soil and climatic conditions. Excessive watering can damage the crop. So stop watering 55 days after sowing the seeds.

Cannabis control: Weeds consume nutrients from the soil. Therefore, you should always try to keep your crop fields free from weeds. During the first plowing, weeds must be removed from the ground. And if you notice them, get rid of extra weeds with loosening. The first loosening should be carried out 4 weeks after sowing the seeds, and the second – 2 weeks after the first loosening.

Pests and diseases

The stem fly is the main pest of this crop. Stem flies infect the plant in the early stages, causing desiccation and wilting.

Yellow mosaic disease can be seen in the growth stage of this crop.

However, you should always keep in touch with any agricultural expert or specialist.

And ask for help if you notice any pests or diseases in your field and take action as soon as possible.

Harvest

You should start harvesting when about 85% of the pods are fully ripe. Try to avoid poor harvest conditions. And don’t wait until all the pods are ripe.

Avoid overripe pods as you will lose a lot of seeds if the pods are overripe.

You can prune the whole plant or the stems with seeds. And take them home after pruning and keep them outside to dry in the sun.

And after drying, threshing should be done either by biting with a stick or using a machine. Clean and dry the seeds after threshing.

yield

Exact yields may vary and are actually dependent on seed and farm management practices. But on average you can expect between 1000 and 1400 kg per hectare.

Advantages

Green gram is commonly used in Asian cuisines. It is used in different ways (from whole beans to pasta). It is used in many delicious dishes not only in India but also in other Asian countries.

Green Gram Nutrition

Green gram is very nutritious. It is an excellent source of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.

Health Benefits of Green Gram

Green gram is very nutritious and very beneficial for human health. It has many health benefits and is considered the ideal diet with a limited source of animal protein. Some notable health benefits of green gram are listed below.

  • The green gram is an excellent source of protein, carbohydrates and minerals.
  • Regular consumption of green gram can help you lose weight.
  • It is a very good source of dietary fiber and iron.
  • Green gram helps control blood pressure.

I hope you enjoyed this guide to growing green gram. Good luck!

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