Khesari (Grass Pea)
Sow in October, harvest around February
Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.
Grown on 14,483 acres here.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- 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 20 mm it can use in a normal year (0 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 200 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 31 °C / 21 °C
- Nov 29 °C / 16 °C
- Dec 28 °C / 12 °C
- Jan 28 °C / 13 °C
- Feb 32 °C / 15 °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 phosphorus, which it needs a lot.
- 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 2.1 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Rain gives it too little of the water it needs, so there's no income figure on rain alone: grow it only with irrigation.
No mandi or support price for this crop yet.