Summer mungbean fetched better returns for farmers in Fatehpur

Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh. To empower farmers in production of chickpea and pigeon pea seed in 2007 the Indian Institute of Pulses Research (IIPR), Kanpur implemented a project on ‘Model Seed System(s) in district Fatehpur’ which provided an interaction between scientists and farmers that improved pulse production and value of pulses in sustainable crop production. During formal and informal meetings with farmers in the target villages, where rice-wheat was the predominant cropping system, most of the farmers opined that after harvest of wheat, mungbean cannot be grown during summer.

The Institute arranged visit of farmers to the IIPR-farm and showed them summer mungbean in 2007. The farmers of Mauhar and Alipur villages of Malwan block of Fatehpur district came forward to start mungbean cultivation in summer. The 10 kg seed of short duration varieties ,viz. Meha and Samrat (developed by IIPR, Kanpur) was supplied to 6 farmers: Mr Rajesh Patel, Baburam Prajapati, Deshraj Singh, Shiv Pratap Singh, Ram Prakash Singh and Ram Sajeevan Patel of Mauhar and Alipur villages of Malwan block of Fatehpur district.

In 2008 mungbean was grown after mustard under the guidance of the IIPR scientists. The farmers harvested 12-14 q/ha mungbean in 65 days and earned Rs 50-60 thousand/ ha. The mungbean variety Samrat yielded 13.5 q/ha and Meha 14.0 q /ha. From the total produce of 48 q Mr Patel earned Rs 1,76,000 with an investment of Rs 28,000/- only. Similarly Mr Baburam Prajapati earned Rs 42,000 from 0.8 ha mungbean and Shiv Pratap Singh earned Rs 54,000 from 0.9 ha, Deshraj Singh earned Rs 80,000 from 1.6 ha. This improved the income of farmers and changed their fortune. They have already got constructed tube- well.

The farmers of Mauhar and Alipur villages have opted cultivation of summer mungbean as they are fully confident of bonus yield and monetary gains from summer mungbean without affecting their prevailing rice-wheat cropping system. The innovative message has spread in neighboring villages and around 150 ha spring/summer mungbean is being cultivated during current season in cluster of 11 to 12 villages in the Malwan block of Fatehpur district.

Picking of pods was not required as both the varieties have synchronous maturity. Such large profit within 65 days enthused many farmers to take up spring/summer mungbean cultivation in 2009. The farmers reported that the yield of succeeding rice crop was higher with proceeding mungbean.

During spring/summer 2009 Mr Rajesh Patel of village Alipur took up mungbean cultivation in 3.5 ha land after harvest of wheat. He planted mungbean varieties, viz. Meha in 2.0 ha and Samrat in 1.5 ha on 7 and 9 April, 2009 after pre-plant irrigation;and used 25 kg seed (treated with fungicide thiram @ 3g/kg seed) per ha and applied 100 kg diammonium phosphate and 20 kg/ha sulphur as basal dose. The crop was sown in line spaced 30 cm and 2 irrigations were applied at 32 and 43 days after sowing and sprayed insecticide metasystax 0.03 % solution at podding stage to control thrips. The crop was harvested on 12 and 15 June, 2009.