🌾 Green Gram and Black Gram Production Technology

This lesson explains practical production of green gram and black gram with emphasis on short-duration planning, protection, and pulse-based system benefits.

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Introduction

Green gram and black gram are the two most important short-duration pulse crops in India's Kharif season. Both belong to the genus Vigna and share many agronomic practices. They are also referred to by their Hindi names Mung (green gram) and Urd (black gram). These crops are critically important for:

• Food security: High-quality vegetable protein for vegetarian diets
• Soil health: Legumes that fix atmospheric nitrogen; suitable for crop rotations
• Income: Demand in domestic markets remains consistently high throughout the year

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Summary Cheat Sheet

Area	Key Exam Point
Crop class	Short-duration pulse crops with nitrogen-fixing benefits
Yield stability	Timely sowing, clean fields, and MYMV control are critical
Harvest strategy	Multiple pickings improve grain quality and returns

References

2 sources • [1] [2]

[1]

ICAR — Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Official

[2]

Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India

Official

Green Gram (Mung Bean)

Importance

• Scientific name: Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek
• Chromosome number: 2n = 22
• Rapid maturity: 60–70 days — one of the shortest-season pulse crops
• Seasonal versatility: Can be grown in Kharif, Spring, and Summer seasons — unique among pulses
• Protein digestibility: 75% — highest digestibility among major food legumes
• Protein content: 22–24%; digestible starch and dietary fibre
• Used for whole grain consumption (mung dal, sprouts), starch (glass noodles), and as fodder

Botanical Notes

• Erect or semi-erect; trifoliate leaves; yellow flowers; thin cylindrical pods (10–15 seeds per pod)
• Self-pollinated (cleistogamous); very low cross-pollination
• Pods turn black at maturity and shatter readily — harvest timing is critical

Varieties

Variety	Released By	Maturity (days)	Yield (t/ha)	Special Feature
Pusa Vishal	IARI, New Delhi	65–70	1.2–1.5	Bold seed; erect; MYMV tolerant
Pant Mung-5	GBPUAT, Pantnagar	60–65	1.0–1.3	MYMV resistant; early maturing
IPM 02-3 (ML-818)	IIPR, Kanpur	60–65	1.2–1.5	Synchronous maturity; good for combine harvest
SML-668	PAU, Ludhiana	60–62	1.2–1.4	MYMV tolerant; Punjab belt
HUM-1	HAU, Hisar	65–68	1.2–1.4	Haryana-adapted; bold grain

Season and Sowing

• Kharif: June–July (main season); sown at onset of monsoon
• Spring/Summer: February–March (irrigated areas of south India; West Bengal)
• Seed rate: 20–25 kg/ha
• Spacing: 30–45 cm × 10 cm; rows 30 cm for Kharif (wetter conditions); 45 cm for summer (drier)
• Seed treatment: Rhizobium (strain CB-1809) + Trichoderma viride 4g/kg + Thiram 3g/kg

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Black Gram (Urd Bean)

Importance

• Scientific name: Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper
• Chromosome number: 2n = 22
• Primary use: Urad dal — most important pulse for making pappad, idli batter, dosa batter, vada; essential in South Indian and North Indian cuisine
• Highest protein pulse in some assessments (24–26%)
• Vigna mungo is close relative of Vigna radiata; distinguishable by sticky pubescent pods and dark (black) grain coat
• Some cross-pollination occurs (3–5%) — relevant for seed production

Botanical Notes

• Bushy, erect to semi-spreading
• Sticky, hairy (pubescent) pods — distinguishing feature from green gram
• Pods turn dark/black at maturity; 6–10 seeds per pod
• Flowers: yellow-white; self-pollinated primarily

Varieties

Variety	Released By	Maturity (days)	Yield (t/ha)	Special Feature
PU-31	PAU, Ludhiana	70–75	1.2–1.4	Punjab-adapted; MYMV tolerant
Pant Urd-35	GBPUAT, Pantnagar	68–72	1.2–1.5	UP hills adapted
IPU-94-1	IIPR, Kanpur	70–75	1.3–1.6	Wide adaptability; good quality
KUG-479	UAS, Dharwad	70–75	1.2–1.4	Karnataka-adapted

Season and Sowing

• Kharif: July–August (slightly later than green gram; needs warm and wet conditions)
• Summer: Possible in irrigated areas (less common)
• Seed rate: 20–25 kg/ha
• Spacing: 30×10 cm

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Common Management Practices

Climate Requirements

• Temperature: 25–35°C for both species
• Rainfall: 600–900 mm; warm humid conditions during vegetative growth
• Dry conditions at maturity: Essential — high humidity promotes pod borer, MYMV, and pod shattering
• Both crops are warm-season annuals; frost-sensitive

Soil Requirements

• Well-drained loam to sandy loam preferred
• pH: 6.5–7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
• Poor tolerance of waterlogging: Both species are highly sensitive to flooding
• Light soils warm up quickly and dry down between rains — preferred

Nutrient Management

• Recommended NPK: 20:50:25 kg/ha (same for both crops)
• Rhizobium + PSB: Seed inoculant; Rhizobium fixes 60–90 kg N/ha when effective
• Sulphur: 20 kg/ha as gypsum (SSP) — essential for amino acid synthesis; deficiency common on light soils
• Avoid excessive N — suppresses nodulation

Weed Management

• Critical period: First 20–30 DAS (both crops)
• Pendimethalin 1.0 kg ai/ha as pre-emergence herbicide
• 2 hand weedings: At 20 DAS and 35 DAS
• Both crops cover ground quickly — canopy closure after 30 DAS reduces further weed growth

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Mung Bean Yellow Mosaic Virus (MYMV)

• Most serious and economically important disease of both green gram and black gram in India
• Pathogen: Mung bean yellow mosaic India virus (MYMIV — a Begomovirus; whitefly-transmitted)
• Vector: Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) — same vector as cotton leaf curl disease
• Symptoms: Bright yellow patches and green areas alternating on leaves ("mosaic"); severely affected plants remain stunted with shriveled pods; yield loss can reach 100% in susceptible varieties
• Management:
  • Primary strategy: Use MYMV-resistant varieties (Pant Mung-5, SML-668, Pusa Vishal for green gram; PU-31 for black gram)
  • Vector control: Imidacloprid seed treatment (5–7 mL/kg seed) reduces early whitefly infestation
  • Rogue and destroy infected plants immediately upon detection
  • Avoid sowing near other legume crops that may harbour virus and whitefly
  • Reflective silver mulch repels whiteflies

Pod Borer (Maruca vitrata)

• Same pest as in pigeonpea; bores into pods at pod development stage
• Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC at 0.4 mL/L; pheromone traps

Leaf Folder

• Larva rolls leaf and feeds inside; Lambda-cyhalothrin spray

Thrips

• Silvering of leaf surface; imidacloprid spray; seed treatment provides early protection

Other Diseases

Disease	Pathogen	Management
Powdery mildew	Erysiphe polygoni	Wettable sulphur 0.2%; Tridemorph spray
Cercospora leaf spot	Cercospora sp.	Mancozeb 0.2% spray at 30 DAS
Root rot	Rhizoctonia bataticola, Fusarium sp.	Trichoderma seed treatment; avoid waterlogging
Bacterial blight	Xanthomonas campestris	Copper oxychloride spray; remove infected plants

Harvesting

• Multiple pickings: Preferred method — pods do not mature uniformly (indeterminate growth)
  • First picking: 60–65 DAS (green gram); 70–75 DAS (black gram)
  • Subsequent pickings at 7–10 day intervals (2–3 pickings total)
  • Multi-picking captures more yield and better quality; labour-intensive
• Once-over harvest: For varieties with synchronous pod maturity (IPM 02-3, SML-668) — harvest all pods when 75–80% are mature (dark-coloured); some losses from shattering and immature pods
• Shattering: Major challenge; pods shatter readily when over-mature; harvest in early morning when humidity is higher (pods less brittle)
• Post-harvest: Sun-dry for 2–3 days; thresh by beating; clean and dry to 12% moisture for storage

Yield Potential

Crop	Average Yield	Under Improved Management
Green gram	1.0–1.5 t/ha	1.5–2.0 t/ha possible
Black gram	1.0–1.5 t/ha	1.5–1.8 t/ha possible

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Comparison of Green Gram vs Black Gram

Feature	Green Gram (V. radiata)	Black Gram (V. mungo)
Grain coat color	Green/olive	Black/dark
Maturity (days)	60–70	70–80
Pods	Thin, straight, non-sticky	Fat, hairy, sticky
Primary use	Mung dal, sprouts	Urad dal, pappad, idli/dosa batter
Seasonal flexibility	3 seasons	2 seasons (mainly Kharif, Summer)
Protein digestibility	75% (highest)	70–72%
Cross-pollination	<1%	3–5%

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