Bengalgram

Land Requirements Land to be used for seed production shall be free of volunteer plants. In addition the land should be light and well drained.  
Isolation Requirements

Gram flowers are normally self-pollinated berfore they open. An isolation distance of 10 metres for foundation seed and 5 metres of certified seed class from fields of other varieties and of same variety not conforming to varietal purity requirements of certification is sufficient.

Cultural Practices

Time of Sowing The best time for sowing is the third and fourth week of October. Delayed sowings should be avoided for seed crops.  


Preparation of Land Generally the land should not be ploughed to fine tilth. the soil should be opened and be allowed sometime for aeration.


Source of Seed Obtain breeder's/foundation seeds from source approved by a seed certification agency. Seed must be treated.


Seed Rate 55 to 100 kg seed per hectare is required depending upon the seed size.


Method of Sowing The seed crop should be sown in rows by drilling. Depth of seeding should be 7 to 10 cm.


Fertilisation Application of about ten cart loads offarm yeard manure is the bhest practice. Further, treating the seed with rhizobium culture isrecommended. General recommendation is to apply 15-20 kg nitrogen and 50 kg phosphorus per hectare as basal dressing.
Foliar application of 0.2 to 0.3 per cent diammonium phosphage once after thirty days of sowing, and again at the flowering stage, has been found very useful.


Spacing Row to row 45 to 60 cm (Kabuli varieties), 30 to 40 cm (Desi varieties)


Irrigation One presowing irrigation (if moisture is not enough in soil) and subsequent one to two light irrigation at 45 to 75 days of crop growth should be given.


Interculture One to two weedings in early stages of crop growth are necessary to keep seed field clean of weeds.


Insect and Disease Control Adopt recommended IPM methods


Roguing The off-type plants and diseased plants affected by blight and wilt should be removed from the seed field from time to time as required.


Harvesting and Threshing

The harvesting of seed crop should be done when the seeds are fully mature. At thisstage the leaves are reddish brown. the plants may be pulled by hand or cut with sickles, and stacked in small heaps in the field to dry for one to two weeks. Later these are transported to threshing floors where threshing is done by flailing sticks. The seed is winnowed and cleaned after threshing and dried to eight to ten per cent moisture content. Every effort should be made to avoid mechanical admixtures during these operations.


Seed Yield The average seed yield varies from 15 to20 qtls per hectare depending upon vareity, soil and crop management.