Moth Bean
Sow in July, harvest around September
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 446 acres here. Sold at 1 mandi in your district.
₹12,000–₹18,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹8,000–₹14,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 9/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough in a normal year. Keep one irrigation ready for a dry year.
Needs about 270 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 340 mm it can use in a normal year, and 200 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 24–32 °C on average, and survives 13–45 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jul 33 °C / 25 °C
- Aug 32 °C / 25 °C
- Sep 33 °C / 24 °C
Soil
Soil for Moth Bean: 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.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
Likes pH 6.5–8.2.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 1.9 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (October 2026): about ₹8,003 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹9,750 a quintal, the middle of 3 mandis across India (latest 12 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹14,000 a season after typical costs.
Prices are usually best in October.
Typical costs are about ₹4,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2023–2025), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.
How to make it work
-
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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.