Moth Bean
Sow in July, harvest around September
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
No figures for your district: its government crop records list no area or yield for this crop. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹7,000–₹11,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹4,000–₹7,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 1 irrigation short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 1 irrigation (5 cm) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 260 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 220 mm it can use in a normal year, and 150 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 30 °C / 22 °C
- Aug 29 °C / 22 °C
- Sep 30 °C / 21 °C
Soil
Soil for Moth Bean: 8 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 zinc.
- Most fields here are short of iron.
Likes pH 6.5–8.2.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 1.1 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).
On rain alone it gets about 87% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 87% of this yield.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (September–October 2026): about ₹9,675 a quintal across mandis in your state.
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 ₹5,000 a season after typical costs.
- ₹8,010 2021
- ₹9,600 2022
- ₹9,880 2023
- ₹6,450 2024
- ₹7,210 2025
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
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Short of sulphur Your soil is likely short of sulphur.
Use single super phosphate instead of DAP, or add about 100 kg of gypsum per acre before sowing.
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):
- Mono-Ammonium Phosphate (MAP) 17%