Moth Bean
Sow in June, harvest around August
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 4.5 lakh acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
₹11,000–₹17,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹7,000–₹13,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 5 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 5 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 340 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 120 mm it can use in a normal year, and 40 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):
- Jun 41 °C / 27 °C (outside its best range)
- Jul 36 °C / 26 °C
- Aug 34 °C / 25 °C
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Moth Bean: 8 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: nitrogen, sulphur and boron.
- The pH here suits it.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
- Most fields here are short of zinc.
- Most fields here are short of iron.
Likes pH 6.5–8.2.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 1.6 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (August–September 2026): about ₹8,600 a quintal across India's mandis.
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 ₹12,000 a season after typical costs.
- ₹6,910 2021
- ₹6,570 2022
- ₹6,320 2023
- ₹5,950 2024
- ₹6,330 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 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):
- Urea 0%