Moong/Mung Bean Farming: Complete Cultivation Guide for Farmers

Scientific name of Moong/Mung Bean- Vigna radiata

Moong/Mung Bean is an important pulse crop. It is mainly cultivated in Kharif (Monsoon season) but good yield can be obtained by adopting intensive methods of sowing on time in Zaid (Summer season). It is grown in many Asian countries including the Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Tanzania, and Kenya. Moong/Mung Bean is one of the most common and popular pulse crop in India.

Moong/Mung Bean is mainly used as a pulse, apart from this, green beans of Moong/Mung Bean are also eaten as a vegetable. Moong/Mung Bean dal is very nutritious and it is used in making many types of dishes such as Moong/Mung Bean namkeen, sweets, papad and Moong/Mung Bean mungondi are also made.

Moong/Mung Bean crop helps in increasing nitrogen in the soil because nodules are found in the roots of Moong/Mung Bean crop and in these nodules, microbes of Rhizobium species are found which fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil in the form of compounds. Due to this, less nitrogen is required for Moong/Mung Bean crop and this nitrogen is also used by the crop sown after Moong/Mung Bean.

Moong/Mung Bean crop gets ready in less time. In 60-75 days.

Key Points

1. Sowing of Moong/Mung Bean should be done from 15th February to 31st March.
2. Use of super phosphate is more beneficial in basal dressing.
3. First irrigation should be done 30-35 days after sowing.
4. Seeds should be treated with Rhizobium culture and PSB (Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria).
5. If Moong/Mung Bean crop is grown after potato crop, then the use of nitrogen is not required.
6. Keep an eye on thrips in Moong/Mung Bean crop, for control before first irrigation spray protective organic insecticide like neem oil or chemical insecticide like Imidacloprid 17.8% or Profenofos 40% + Cypermethrin 4% EC or chlorantraniliprole 18.5 sc.

Suitable Climate and Soil

Sandy-loamy and loamy soil with good drainage is suitable for the cultivation of Moong/Mung Bean. The field is prepared by ploughing it once or twice with a cultivator. It is necessary to level the field after every ploughing so that the moisture is conserved.

25-35°C temperature is most suitable for Moong/Mung Bean crop. If the temperature is more than 40°C, the flowers of the plants may fall, which may reduce production. A minimum temperature of 15°C is required for germination.

Hot and dry climate is required for Moong/Mung Bean crop. Excessive rainfall is harmful for Moong/Mung Bean crop, but Moong/Mung Bean crop can be grown successfully in places with 100cm annual rainfall. Plants require high temperature during the growth period. Dry weather and high temperature are beneficial when pods appear on the plants and when the pods ripen.

Soil with 6.0-7.5 pH is suitable for Moong/Mung Bean crop.

Best Mung Bean Varieties

Choosing the right varieties according to the season and region is very important for mung bean cultivation. Farmers can earn more profit at low cost by adopting early maturing, high-yielding and disease-resistant varieties.
Some good varieties of mung bean are as follows-

• SML-668
• PDM-139 (Samrat)
• MH-421
• Star-444
• IPM 205 – 7 (Virat)
• IPM 410 – 3 (Shikha)

Seed Treatment

Treat the seeds with 2.5 gm Thiram or 1 gm Carbendazim 50% or Trichoderma viride 4 gm per kg of seed. This improves germination. As a result, the number of plants per unit is ensured and the yield increases.

Rhizobium Culture Treatment

After seed treatment, spread the seeds on a sack and treat them with the specific Rhizobium culture of Moong/Mung Bean, the method of which is as follows-

Mix 50 gm Jaggery and 200 gm Rhizobium culture packet in 500 ml of water. Sprinkle this mixture over 10 kg of seeds and mix it gently so that a light layer is formed over the seeds. Dry this seed in the shade for one or two hours and sow it by 9:00 am or after 4:00 pm.

There is a possibility of the bacteria of the culture dying in strong sunlight.

Where Moong/Mung Bean is being cultivated for the first time or after a long time, Rhizobium culture must be used.

PSB (Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria) treatment

Phosphate nutrient is very important for legume crops. A large part of the phosphate nutrient given by chemical fertilizers is converted into unavailable state in the soil. As a result, due to the decrease in the availability of phosphate, the yield of these crops is adversely affected.

PSB (Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria) culture is very helpful in converting unavailable phosphate into available form in the soil. Therefore, it is necessary that along with Rhizobium culture for the fulfillment of nitrogen, PSB culture should also be used to increase the availability of phosphate.

The method and quantity of PSB culture use is the same as that of Rhizobium culture.

Seed Rate

In mixed crop of Moong/Mung Bean, seed rate is 8-10 kg per hectare and in single crop, seed rate is 18-22 kg per hectare.

Season	Seed rate (kg/hectare)
Kharif (Monsoon Season)	15-20 kg/hectare
Zaid (Summer Season)	20-25 kg/hectare
Rabi (Winter Season)	18-22 kg/hectare

In summer crop, germination may be less due to high temperature and drought, so keep seed rate a little higher.

Row distance is kept up to 40-45 cm. In summer, seed rate is kept 20-25 kg per hectare and row to row distance is kept 30 cm.

Row to row distance: 30 cm
Plant to plant distance: 10 cm

Sowing time and method

In different parts of the country, the sowing of Moong/Mung Bean crop is done at different times depending on the rainfall and irrigation facilities. In northern India, Moong/Mung Bean crop is grown in Zaid (Summer) and Kharif (Monsoon), in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the crop is also sown in Rabi (Winter).

In the areas where irrigation facilities are available, Moong/Mung Bean is sown after ploughing as soon as the wheat fields are empty in April. This practice is increasing day by day in northern India. Moong/Mung Bean can be sown anytime from 15 February to 15 April.

The crop is sown by broadcasting or in rows through seed drill. Sowing in rows is good. Moong/Mung Bean can be grown in between the rows of crops like maize, cotton, sugarcane etc. without affecting the yield of the main crop.

• Right time of sowing:
• Kharif (monsoon) crop: June – July
• Rabi crop: October – November (only in irrigated areas)
• Summer crop: February – March

Use of fertilizers

Generally, fertilizers should be used as per the recommendation of soil testing or the quantity of fertilizers should be determined as follows-
Use 15-20 kg nitrogen, 40 kg phosphorus, 20 kg potash and 20 kg sulphur per hectare.

The use of phosphorus increases the grain yield significantly. The entire quantity of fertilizers should be given 2-3 cm below the seeds in the furrows at the time of sowing. If super phosphate is not available, then one quintal of DAP and two quintals of gypsum should be used at the rate per hectare at the time of sowing.

Fertilizers	Dosage (per hectare)
Nitrogen (Urea)	15-20 kg of Nitrogen (approximately 45 kg of Urea)
Phosphorus (DAP/SSP)	40-50 kg of P₂O₅ (approximately 100 kg of DAP or 250 kg of SSP)
Potash	20 kg of K₂O (33 kg of MOP)
Sulfur	20 kg/hectare (from Bentonite Sulfur)

Nutrient	Importance
Nitrogen (N)	Essential for early growth, green leaf, and branch development.
Phosphorus (P)	Helps in root development, flowering, and pod formation.
Potash (K)	Important for disease resistance, grain quality, and water balance.
Sulfur	Aids in protein synthesis and improves grain quality.
Bio-fertilizers (Rhizobium, PSB)	Increases nitrogen fixation and phosphorus availability.

Irrigation

The first irrigation should be done 30-35 days after sowing. If the first irrigation is done too early then the roots and nodules do not develop properly. Later on, keep doing light irrigation after 10-15 days as per the need. Irrigation through the sprinkler method is more beneficial.

Total Irrigation Requirement:

• In Kharif Season: Rain-fed, no need for additional irrigation (1-2 irrigations may be required in case of drought).
• In Summer and Rabi Seasons: Light irrigation is necessary 3-4 times.

Growth Stage	Importance of Irrigation
After Sowing (Germination Stage)	Moisture availability leads to better germination.
Flowering Stage	Lack of water may cause flower drop, reducing the number of pods.
Pod Formation Stage	Most crucial stage for increasing yield; plants require adequate moisture.
Grain Filling Stage	Light irrigation at this stage is essential for proper grain development.

Weed Control in Moong/Mung Bean

After the first irrigation, ‘hoeing’ not only destroys weeds but also circulates air in the soil, which helps in collecting atmospheric nitrogen and bacteria active in the root nodules at that time.

Chemical control of weeds in Moong/Mung Bean

Dissolve 2.5-3.0 liters of Pendimethalin 30% EC in 500-700 liters of water and spray at the rate per hectare within 72 hours of sowing.

For effective control of weeds in standing crop of Moong/Mung Bean, mix 750-1000 ml of Imazethapyr 10% SL in 500 to 700 litres of water per hectare and spray through flat fan nozzle after 20-25 days of sowing. It is necessary to have moisture in the soil while spraying herbicide.

Crop Protection

Timely control of pests and diseases in Moong/Mung Bean crop is very important as they can cause heavy losses to production and grain quality.

Yellow Mosaic Virus of Moong/Mung Bean

Yellow mosaic disease is common in green gram. The virus of this disease is spread by white fly.

Control

The following points should be kept in mind for the prevention of yellow mosaic disease.

• Sowing should be done on time.
• Yellow mosaic resistant/tolerant varieties should be sown.
• As soon as yellow mosaic affected plants are seen, those plants should be carefully uprooted and destroyed or buried in a pit.
• When 5-10 white flies (adult flies) are seen per plant, spray Imidacloprid 17.8% SL @ 250 ml/hectare or Diafenthiuron 50% WP or Acetamiprid 20% SP 100 grams per acre in water.

Powdery Mildew

A white powdery coating is seen on the leaves of Moong/Mung Bean plants affected by this disease. The leaves of plants affected by this disease start drying.

Soluble Sulphur 2-3 gm/liter or Hexaconazole 5% SC @ 250 ml/acre should be sprayed for the treatment of Powdery Mildew disease in Moong/Mung Bean.

Root Rot

The roots of plants affected by this disease start rotting and the plant turns yellow and dries.

For the treatment of this disease, seeds should be treated with fungicide and then sown.

Thrips

Both the larvae and adults of this insect suck the juice from leaves and flowers. In case of heavy infestation, due to sucking of juice from the leaves, the leaves get twisted and the flowers fall, which adversely affects the yield.

Control

In case of pest infestation, spray Imidacloprid 17.8% SL @ 100 ml per acre or Thymethoxim 25% @ 100 grams per acre.

Pod Borers

Pod borers cause a lot of damage to the crop. If there are 2 caterpillars per square meter, then for its control, spray Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC @150 ml/hectare by dissolving it in 600 to 800 liters of water.

Aphids

Aphids suck the juice of Moong/Mung Bean plants, due to which the leaves shrink. And they also spread diseases.

To prevent aphids, spray Imidacloprid 17.8% SL @250 ml/hectare.

Harvesting and Storage

The Moong/Mung Bean crop is ready for harvesting in 60-75 days after sowing. When the crop is ripe, the moong/mung bean pods turn light yellow or dark brown and most of the leaves turn yellow and fall off. When the crop is ripe, the grains become hard and shiny.

After harvesting, the pods should be dried thoroughly in the sun for 4-5 days and then threshed. After threshing, the grains should be dried in the sun for 1-2 days.
When the moisture content in the grains is less than 10%, then the moong should be stored in a dry and ventilated place.

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