My gram looks very green and lush but pod setting is poor. What is going wrong.
Why are my chana plants growing tall and leafy with very few pods?
KKailash Gurjar7mo ago · 278 views
5 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓6mo ago
Excessive vegetative growth with poor podding in chana usually comes from too much nitrogen or irrigation, very fertile or moist soil, or warm conditions that favour leaves over pods. Gram is a legume that fixes its own nitrogen, so heavy nitrogen or rich residual fertility makes it run to leaf. Avoid extra nitrogen and excess irrigation, ensure good phosphorus and sulphur, and nipping the tops can help divert energy to branches and pods. If the soil is very rich, lighter management helps. Have your soil tested and confirm the fertiliser plan with your KVK or Soil Health Card.
MMohan Lal Gurjar6mo ago
This happened to me on a field where I had given heavy manure for the previous crop. The gram went all leaf and few pods. The next year I grew it on a less rich plot with no extra nitrogen and the podding was much better. Rich soil and gram do not mix well.
NNathu Lal Meena6mo ago
Over-irrigation was my mistake. I was watering the gram like wheat and it grew tall and lush with empty lower nodes. Once I cut back to just the critical irrigations the plants stayed compact and set far more pods. Gram does not like wet feet.
BBanwari Lal Gurjar6mo ago
Check your phosphorus and sulphur if the plant is all leaf and few pods, because on my rich field the nitrogen was high but the phosphorus was short, and pod setting improved once I balanced it on the soil test advice. Gram fixes its own nitrogen, so feeding it like wheat just runs it to leaf.
RRamswaroop Gurjar6mo ago
On my lush crop nipping the tops around a month after sowing helped redirect the growth into branches and pods instead of height. Combined with stopping the extra water, the difference in pod number was clear on the nipped part of the field.