Khesari (Grass Pea)
Sow in October, harvest around February
Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.
Grown on 22,453 acres here.
No price yet to estimate income
- Needs care: Risky: 4 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 9/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 4 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 330 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 10 mm it can use in a normal year (0 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 160 mm from the monsoon at sowing.
Temperature
Grows best at 10–28 °C on average, and survives 4–32 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Oct 32 °C / 22 °C
- Nov 29 °C / 15 °C
- Dec 25 °C / 11 °C
- Jan 23 °C / 10 °C
- Feb 28 °C / 14 °C
Soil
Soil for Khesari (Grass Pea): 9 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Low nitrogen matters less: it makes its own.
- Many fields here are short of sulphur, which it needs a lot.
Likes pH 6.0–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 3.0 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
No mandi or support price for this crop yet.
How to make it work
The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 4.0 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.