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INTRODUCTION |
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CLUSTER
BEAN (HTTP://AGRIFARMING.IN/TAG/CLUSTER-BEAN) IS AN ANNUAL LEGUME CROP AND
ONE OF THE FAMOUS VEGETABLE, POPULARLY KNOWN AS “GUAR” IN INDIA. CLUSTER BEAN
IS CULTIVATED FOR ITS GREEN VEGETABLES (HTTP://AGRIFARMING.IN/TAG/VEGETABLES)
AND DRY PODS, & AS A FORAGE CROP AND ALSO CULTIVATED FOR GREEN MANURE
BECAUSE GUAR PLANTING INCREASE SUBSEQUENT CROP YIELDS, AS THIS LEGUME CROP
CONSERVES SOIL NUTRIENTS. IT IS GROWN IN ALL PARTS OF INDIA. CLUSTER BEAN(OR)
GUAR BELONGS TO FAMILY OF “LEGUMINACEAE” AND ITS BOTANICAL NAME IS “CYAMOUS
TETRAGOCALOBE L. TAUB”. THE GUAR SEEDS HAVE THREE PARTS: A) GERM, B)
ENDOSPERM C) HUSK. THE VERY FAMOUS GUAR GUM USED IN MINING, PETROLEUM
DRILLING & TEXTILE MANUFACTURING, IS OBTAINED FROM THE ENDOSPERM OF THE
GUAR SEED. |
CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
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CLUSTER
BEAN GROWS WELL IN WARM CLIMATIC CONDITIONS AND THIS CROP CAN BE CULTIVATED
IN BOTH SUMMER AND MONSOON OR RAINY SEASON. THIS CROP TOLERATES SALINITY AND
DROUGHT CONDITIONS. |
SOIL REQUIREMENTS
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CLUSTER
BEAN GROWS ON WIDE VARIETY OF SOILS, BUT THRIVES EXCELLENT IN WELL DRAINED
SANDY LOAM SOILS. SOIL PH RANGE OF 7.0 TO 8.0 SHOULD RESULT IN GOOD YIELD AND
QUALITY. SOIL TEST CAN BE DONE TO FIND OUT THE NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES IN THE
FIELD. THE SOIL NEEDS TO BE PREPARED WELL BY REPEATED PLOUGHING. |
SOWING SEASON
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MAIN
CROP SOWING CAN BE DONE DURING MONSOON(JUNE- JULY) AND EARLY GUAR CROP IS
SOWN FROM FEB TO MARCH. SEED RATE IN CLUSTER BEAN FARMING:- APPROXIMATE SEED
RATE IN CLUSTER BEAN CULTIVATION IS ABOUT 9 TO 10 KG PER HECTARE. GAUR SEEDS
(OR) CLUSTER BEAN SEEDS |
SEED TREATMENT
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TREAT
THE GUAR SEEDS WITH RHIZOBIUM @ 600 GRAMS PER HECTARE. DRY THE TREATED SEEDS
IN SHADE FOR 20 TO 30 MINUTES BEFORE SOWING IN THE MAIN FIELD. |
PREPARATION OF LAND
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MAIN
FIELD SHOULD BE PLOUGHED TO FINE TILTH AND FORM FURROWS AND RIDGES @ 40 CM
APART. |
SOWING METHOD
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DIBBLE
THE SEEDS ON THE SIDES OF THE RIDGES AT 10 TO 15 CM APART. FLAT BED AND
SPACING 60 X 30 CM IS RECOMMENDED. |
APPLICATION OF MANURES AND FERTILIZERS
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ADD
ABOUT 40 TO 60 CARTLOADS OF FARM YARD MANURE (F.M.Y) (OR) F.Y.M @ 25 TONNES /
HA AT THE TIME OF SOIL PREPARATION. SHOULD APPLY INORGANIC FERTILIZERS 25 KG
OF N, 50 KG OF P 50 AND 25 KG OF K/HA AS BASAL. SHOULD APPLY 25 KG OF N/HA AS
TOP DRESSING IN 1 MONTH AFTER SOWING THE SEEDS. |
WEED CONTROL
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ABOUT
3 WEEDING SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT TO CONTROL THE WEEDS IN THE FIELD. |
IRRIGATION
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IRRIGATION
IS REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY AFTER SOWING THE SEEDS AND SUBSEQUENT IRRIGATIONS
SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT @ 7-10 DAYS INTERVALS. WATERING THE FIELD MAY ALSO
DEPEND ON THE SOIL TYPE AND SEASON. IF IT IS RAINY SEASON, IRRIGATION MAY NOT
BE NEEDED. DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM CAN BE ADOPTED FOR EFFECTIVE USE OF WATER. |
HARVESTING
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CLUSTER
BEANS WILL BE READY FOR HARVESTING IN 60 TO 90 DAYS AND THE GREEN PODS CAN BE
HARVESTED FROM THE PLANT BY CUTTING (OR) BY TWISTING. PICKING OF GREEN PODS
SHOULD BE CONTINUED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME AS THEY CONTINUE POP UP AS THE
PLANT GROWS. YIELD OF CLUSTER BEANS:- THE YIELD DEPENDS ON GOOD FARM
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND VARIETY. AN AVERAGE OF 35 TO 55 QUINTALS PER HECTARE
CAN BE EXPECTED |