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Field Preparation and Sowing

Field Preparation and Sowing :

Although balckgram does not require fine tilth better land preparation results in good germination and uniform stand of the crop. It also helps the crop to achieve higher seedlings vigour and early growth. Heavy soils need more cultivation with either plough or disking, followed by harrowing and land leveling, while the light soils will be ready with less cultivation. One or two deep cultivations, 2-3 harrowing and single planking would give better seedbed for blackgram. During Kharif, attention should be given to proper land leveling and drainage as any water stagnation affects the crop adversely when the sowing in done in the rice fallow, seeding can be done without cultivation, as it requires time to come to proper condition after tillage. In post-rainy season crop soil moisture conservation practices improve the crop yield. After the crop establishes, 1 or 2 intercultivations check the evaporation losses of moisture and reduce the weed population. Intercultivations also aid in better root proliferation.

Seed and Seed treatment with Rhizobium culture: Quality seed is the basic input needed to ensure good crop stand and ultimately higher yield. In spite of development of number of improved varieties of different pulse crops, their availability and popularity among farmers is low due to lack of systematic seed production and distribution facility.

Biofertilizers like Rhizobium leguminosarum atmospheric nitrogen to the tune of 10-25 kg/ha. The efficiency of these crop specific bacteria depends on the specific strains and efficiency also increases in presence of a good amount of organic matter, cobalt and molybdenum micro-nutrient, P, K, Ca, Mg and low amount of nitrogen in soil. Efficient Rhizobium strains for balckgram – BMBS-47, DH-2, BDN-F, KU-1, Urad 10B. Some heterotrophic bacteria and fungi are known to have the ability to solubulize/mobilize inorganic phosphorus from insoluble sources. Important phosphate solubilizing microorganisms are Phosphobacterium, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Aspergillus and Pencillium.

Seed treatment with slurry of Rhizobium and PSB (Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria) is the right and effective method of application for getting maximum response

Note: The seeds should not be exposed to direct sunlight or it will hamper the activity of the micro-organisms. 400-600 gm each Rhizobium and PSB are sufficient for treating 15 kg seeds for one hectare.

Planting time: The blackgram is basically a hot season crop exhibiting tolerance to higher temperature and susceptibility to cold and frost. In northern parts of the county, where the temperatures during winter are quite low, it is cultivated only during the rainy season. i.e. from middle of June to middle of July. However, in the eastern states it is also grown during winter. In the central and southern states where there is not much variation in climate, it is cultivated both during summer and rainy season. Despite the slight variation in optimum date of sowing during different seasons depending on agro-climatic zone, variety and soil conditions sowing between mid-June to mid-July is found to be optimum time for kharif season. Early planting in first week of July result in higher yield and any delay in sowing beyond this date causes reduction in yield. The optimum time for sowing the summer crop is during March. In Sikkim the optimum time of sowing is during the months of July to August.

Seed Rate: In blackgram a seed rate of 12-15 kg/ha for kharif sowing and about 20-25 kg/ha for summer sowing would be optimum. If pulses are raised in intercropping systems the seed rate depends on the proportion of area available for them.

Spacing: In balckgram, a row to row spacing of 25-30 cm and plant to plant spacing of 5-10 cm has been found to be optimum for summer crop. A wider spacing of 30-45 cm between rows and 5-10 cm within rows is optimum for kharif crop. optimum spacing is 30 x 10 cm.