When it comes to high yields and returns, opt for green gram, say researchers
GREEN has once again proved its superiority, though in an unusual field
this time - pulses. Experiments conducted in recent years to find a suitable
alternative to the less remunerative
horse gram have indicated that green
gram is more farmer-friendly than
horse gram (Farmer and Parliament,
Vol 30, No 9).
The results of a series of experiments, conducted by a research team led
by K L Rao at the Regional Agricultural
Research Station, Tirupati in Andhra
Pradesh, have established that growing
green gram during the rabi season
(September-October) is a sure way to
reap higher monetary returns. Farmer
trials conducted in research stations and
on farmer holdings revealed that out of
the short duration pulse crops like green
gram and black gram, growing green
gram during rabi season gives the
farmer a higher monetary return of
Rs 8,275 per ha than that of horse gram
which results in a net return of only
Rs 1,825 per ha. Thus for every rupee
spent, the farmer got Rs 2.22 with the
cultivation of green gram, while it was
only Rs 0.88 with horse gram.
The research results further indicate
that sowing from the second fortnight
of September till the first fortnight of
October is the best time for realising
higher yields of green gram. If delayed
beyond the first fortnight of October,
the crop is subjected to terminal
drought before harvest, besides sure
incidence of pest-caused diseases.
In recent times, high yielding, short
duration and disease and drought resistant varieties for commercial cultivation
of green gram have been released.
Among them, Ps- 16, Mr-267, Pusa- 105,
LGG-407, LGG-410 and m-2 are reported
to be best suited for rabi season with a
duration of 60-65 days.
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