Plant Nutrient Management
- Grain yield of 3t/ha removes 300 kg N and 100 kg K2O.
- Generally, 15-20t/ha FYM, 20-30:60-80:50-60 kg NPK/ha.
- In Nepal, 4-6t/ha FYM, 10:40:30 kg NPK/ha.
- P required for early ripening and higher yield.
- P uptake higher before pod formation to few days before seeds fully developed.
- K uptake maximum when vegetative growth at peak.
- P-response: 9-12 kg grain/kg applied P2O5 @ 80kg/ha.
- S is another vital micro-nutrient. But can be applied only on strongly weathered, coarse textured alkaline soils.
- 10kg of carbohydrate are needed for 1kg of N produced.
- High N content do not attract bacteria and N-fixation.
Irrigation management
- Raised as rainfed crop in rainy season.
- High water demand during flowering and pod formation (0.75cm water/day).
- Critical stages: flowering bud differentiation, flowering and pod formation.
- Last irrigation: during seed formation.
Weed Management
- 40-60% yield loss due to weeds.
- Critical period: first 20-45 days.
- Weeds include: Echinochloa colona, E. crusgalli, Digitaria sp., Eleusine indica, Celosia argentia, Sorghum halepanse, Cynodon dactylon etc
- 2 hand weeding: 1st at 25-30 DAS and 2nd at 45-60 DAS.
- 2 inter-row cultivation removes weed and improves infiltration and aeration.
- Pre-plant: Fluchloralin (Basalin) @ 1 kg a.i./ha in 800-1000l of water.
- Pre-emergence: Nitrofen (Tok-E-25) @1.5-2.0 kg a.i./ha in 800-1000l water.
Harvesting, Threshing and Storage
- Harvesting indices: leaves turn yellow and drop, seeds mostly ripe and moisture about 15%.
- Manual harvest by picking pods or cutting near to ground or using combine harvester (14% moisture).
- Threshing by beating with sticks or trampling.
- Drying seeds to 11-12% moisture before storage.
- Store in air tight metal bins in dry and cool place (10-22oC, <60% RH)
Yield
- 850kg/ha.
- Can be increased to 3.5-4t/ha with improved agro-techniques.