Green gram success

GREEN has once again proved its superiority, though in an unusual fieldthis time - pulses. Experiments conducted in recent years to find a suitablealternative to the less remunerativehorse gram have indicated that greengram is more farmer-friendly thanhorse gram (Farmer and Parliament,Vol 30, No 9).

The results of a series of experiments, conducted by a research team ledby K L Rao at the Regional AgriculturalResearch Station, Tirupati in AndhraPradesh, have established that growinggreen gram during the rabi season(September-October) is a sure way toreap higher monetary returns. Farmertrials conducted in research stations andon farmer holdings revealed that out ofthe short duration pulse crops like greengram and black gram, growing greengram during rabi season gives thefarmer a higher monetary return ofRs 8,275 per ha than that of horse gramwhich results in a net return of onlyRs 1,825 per ha. Thus for every rupeespent, the farmer got Rs 2.22 with thecultivation of green gram, while it wasonly Rs 0.88 with horse gram.

The research results further indicatethat sowing from the second fortnightof September till the first fortnight ofOctober is the best time for realisinghigher yields of green gram. If delayedbeyond the first fortnight of October,the crop is subjected to terminaldrought before harvest, besides sureincidence of pest-caused diseases.

In recent times, high yielding, shortduration and disease and drought resistant varieties for commercial cultivationof green gram have been released.Among them, Ps- 16, Mr-267, Pusa- 105,LGG-407, LGG-410 and m-2 are reportedto be best suited for rabi season with aduration of 60-65 days.