Scientific Cultivation of Moong
Moong from sowing to harvest — including plant protection.
Importance Moong is a high-protein pulse rich in vitamins and minerals, low in fat, digestible and nutritious. Land selection Loam to sandy loam, fertile soils with good drainage are best. Field preparation One mouldboard ploughing, two disc-harrow passes, then plank and level. Seed rate Kharif — about 5 kg/acre; Zaid — about 8 kg/acre. Use certified or TL seed. Seed treatment Treat with thiram @ 3 g/kg seed, then inoculate with Rhizobium culture (mix culture with jaggery solution, coat seed and shade-dry). Sowing time Kharif — first fortnight of July; Zaid — March. Recommended varieties MH-421, MH-1142, Vishal, Veer (and other Quality Seeds lines as available). Sowing method Do not broadcast. Kharif spacing about 45 × 10 cm; Zaid about 35 × 10 cm; depth 5–6 cm. Fertilizer Rhizobium fixes nitrogen, so use modest starter nitrogen (~5 kg N or about 11 kg urea/acre) and about 16 kg P (via SSP). Always prefer soil-test based doses. Irrigation and weed management Maintain adequate moisture at critical stages keep the crop weed-free in the first 30–35 days with intercultural operations or recommended herbicides Plant protection Watch for yellow mosaic, leaf spot, pod borer and sucking pests. Use resistant varieties where possible and apply need-based sprays only after careful field monitoring. Harvesting Harvest when 80% pods mature to reduce shattering losses; dry and thresh carefully for clean grain.