Best Fertilizer for Moong in India
Moong (green gram) is a short-duration pulse grown in kharif, summer and sometimes spring. It fixes nitrogen through Rhizobium nodules, so it needs only a small starter dose of nitrogen and
Overview
Moong (green gram) is a short-duration pulse grown in kharif, summer and sometimes spring. It fixes nitrogen through Rhizobium nodules, so it needs only a small starter dose of nitrogen and responds well to phosphorus. Because the crop matures in just 60 to 70 days, almost all fertiliser is given as a basal dose at sowing. A good Rhizobium and PSB seed treatment supplies much of the nitrogen and saves fertiliser. Heavy urea promotes leaves over pods and reduces nodulation. Moong is also a great soil improver between cereal crops. Always base your dose on a soil test or Soil Health Card and confirm local rates with your KVK.
Recommended NPK dose for Moong
A typical recommended dose is about 8 kg N, 16 kg P2O5 and 8 kg K2O per acre, which is roughly 20 kg N, 40 kg P2O5 and 20 kg K2O per hectare. Note the low nitrogen and high phosphorus typical of legumes. Sulphur at 8 kg per acre is useful on deficient soils. Potash is added only where soil tests show it is low. These are general ranges only. Get a soil test or Soil Health Card done and follow the dose advised by your KVK, since requirements change with soil and season.
Application schedule
Moong needs all its fertiliser as a single basal dose at sowing because of its short life. Apply the full nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and sulphur in the seed furrow or just below the seed before sowing, so the young roots reach it quickly. No nitrogen top dressing is needed. If the crop looks pale at flowering on poor soils, a 2 percent urea spray and a 2 percent DAP spray at flowering and pod formation can lift yield, but do not broadcast extra urea on the soil.
Organic & bio-fertilizers
Mix 4 to 5 tonnes of well rotted FYM or compost per acre, about 10 tonnes per hectare, into the soil before sowing. Treat seed first with fungicide, then with green gram Rhizobium at 5 g per kg seed plus PSB at 5 g per kg seed, dry in shade and sow the same day. This supplies much of the nitrogen and unlocks phosphorus. Vermicompost at 1 tonne per acre can replace part of the FYM. Growing moong itself adds organic nitrogen to the soil for the next crop.
Micronutrients & deficiency signs
Moong commonly responds to sulphur and to zinc and iron on problem soils. Apply 8 kg sulphur per acre through gypsum where soil is deficient. For zinc deficiency, seen as yellow patches between veins and stunted plants, apply 10 kg zinc sulphate per acre or spray 0.5 percent zinc sulphate. Iron deficiency in alkaline soils shows as yellow new leaves with green veins; spray 0.5 percent ferrous sulphate. Apply boron only if a soil test confirms a shortage, as excess boron is toxic.
Tips & cautions
Treat seed with fungicide first, then Rhizobium and PSB, and sow the same day. Do not overuse nitrogen; heavy urea gives leaves instead of pods and weakens nodulation. Place phosphorus near the seed for better uptake. A foliar spray at flowering gives more benefit than extra soil urea. Avoid waterlogging. Test your soil every two to three years and follow KVK advice for your area.
These are general recommendations. For the exact dose, follow your Soil Health Card / soil test and local KVK, and avoid over-applying urea.
FAQs
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