Khesari (Grass Pea)
Sow in October, harvest around February
Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.
Grown on 60,218 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 400 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 190 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 / 21 °C
- Nov 31 °C / 16 °C
- Dec 28 °C / 13 °C
- Jan 28 °C / 13 °C
- Feb 31 °C / 16 °C
Soil
Soil for Khesari (Grass Pea): 9 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: boron.
- 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.
- Most fields here are short of zinc.
- Most fields here are short of iron.
Likes pH 6.0–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 1.8 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
No mandi or support price for this crop yet.
How to make it work
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Short of zinc Your soil is likely short of zinc.
Mix 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre into the soil before sowing. One dose lasts two or three seasons.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of iron Your soil is likely short of iron.
Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.