Wheat crop is commonly harvested from mid of April to mid of May in most parts of Punjab. Farmers ask about what to plant after wheat crop. In this video, we have advised that planting of mung bean or green gram is more successful in Thal area than central Punjab and rice zone of Punjab. Soil and environmental conditions are conducive to mung bean in Mianwali and Layya districts of Thal area of Punjab. Farmers of central Punjab and rice zone of Punjab may cultivate after wheat but with the preferred objective as green manure crop. That is why, adjustment and success of mung bean as catch crop rather than green manure between wheat and rice crops, has been found very difficult in most cases.
Mung bean crop flourishes better in well drained, aerated, healthy loam, sandy loam and light soil. Naturally having such features, Piplan, Bhaker Layya, Fateh Pur, Doaba, Kundian and adjacent areas in the eastern side of Indus river has developed as core area of mung bean crop. Successive cultivation of Mung bean has depleted phosphorus in the root zone of this particular region. It is strongly recommended that 75-100 kg of DAP should be applied at sowing for successful cultivation of mung bean in this region.
Spring sowing is feasible in most parts but sowing after wheat is not feasible throughout Punjab. In this video, we have highlighted the suitable areas, soil and environmental conditions for successful production of green gram in different parts of Punjab province. It has been advised that suitability of soil and environment should be this crop faces severe problems in the heavy/clayey and salt affected soils especially in the rice zone if planted after wheat crop. Root rot renders severe loss in the heavy/salt affected soils if planted through broadcast method. Planting of mung bean between the interval of wheat and rice is very hardly successful. As regards central Punjab, it is only feasible in the loam and light soils patched in this region. However, it is successful as green manure crop after wheat all over Punjab.
It is expressed with great sorrow that, there were short durational, smart varieties two decades ago but now the researchers have failed to cater such varieties. Cultivation of mung bean crop in the secondary areas often fails due to poor varieties and unfavorable environmental conditions.
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