Moong (Green Gram)
Sow in October, harvest around December
Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.
Grown on 202 acres here. Sold at 4 mandis in your district.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Needs care: Risky: 3 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 9/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 3 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 230 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 20 mm it can use in a normal year (10 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 100 mm from the monsoon at sowing.
Temperature
Grows best at 21–36 °C on average, and survives 8–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Oct 32 °C / 21 °C
- Nov 31 °C / 18 °C
- Dec 31 °C / 16 °C
Soil
Soil for Moong (Green Gram): 9 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Low nitrogen matters less: it makes its own.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
- Most fields here are short of zinc.
- Most fields here are short of iron.
Likes pH 6.2–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 2.5 quintals an acre here (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.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (January 2026): about ₹5,850 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹7,984 a quintal, the middle of 4 mandis in your district (latest 13 Nov).
Minimum support price: ₹8,780 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹6,000 2021
- ₹6,200 2022
- ₹7,380 2023
- ₹7,330 2024
Prices are usually best in October.
Typical costs are about ₹14,000 an acre (seed, fertiliser, labour and hired machines, from the government's cost survey). They are spent whatever the harvest.
How to make it work
The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 2.7 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
-
Short of organic carbon Your soil is likely short of organic carbon.
Add 4 tonnes of compost or farmyard manure per acre before sowing, and plough crop leftovers back in instead of burning them.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
-
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.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
-
Short of iron Your soil is likely short of iron.
Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 86%
- Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) 3%
- Urea 1%