How to cultivate green manure? What are its advantages and disadvantages? Which elements are found in soil? Do we give all this information? The organic matter prepared after rotting legume crops by plowing them in the soil in their vegetative growth stage is called green manure. Bacillus Radicola bacteria are found in the glands (nodules) in the roots of green manure crops, which take nitrogen from the atmosphere and along with the supply of nitrogen to the crops, the amount of nitrogen in the soil is leveled for the next crop.
At present, farmers are doing farming in an intensive manner by adopting advanced technology. Growing 2 to 3 crops from one field in a year. To produce more crops, chemical fertilizers and pesticides are being used in unbalanced quantities. Due to which the quality of physical and chemical structure of the land is deteriorating and the toxic effect on water and air is increasing. Besides, due to the increase in tasteless and poisonous elements produced by the use of chemical fertilizers and medicines, many types of diseases are increasing in the human body. Keeping all these problems in mind, the need of the present time is to cultivate green manure with the aim of promoting organic farming.
Table of Contents
Crops useful for green manure
Sanai, Dhaincha, Sesbania rostrata, moong, urad, fenugreek, sage and after pod harvesting, barvati etc. are the main crops.
Main characteristics of crops selected for green manure –
Choose pulse crops for green manure, because pulse crops collect organic matter in large quantities. Also, the crop should be more leafy and ready at a faster pace. The entire plant should have soft germination so that the entire crop can quickly germinate and get mixed in the soil. The crop should have long roots so that the nutrients can be pulled from the soil and absorbed into the plant. Select low-cost crops for green manure. The water demand of the crop should be less.
Green manure crops should have more glands in their roots. So that more atmospheric nitrogen can be fixed in the soil. Select such a crop whose seeds are easily available and should also be cheap.
Advanced technology of green manure
Land – Green manure crops can be grown in all types of lands. It grows better in loamy and heavy soil. In these lands, crops grow faster and more leaves are formed. Land preparation – After the Rabi crop is harvested, plow it with cultivator or disc harrow and at the time of sowing, the field should be prepared properly by plowing and raking once.
Seed rate
Structure- 14-16 kg/acre
Sanai – 18-20 kg/acre
Moong/Urad – 12-14 kg/acre
Time of sowing
For green manure, seeds should be sown from 20th to 30th May.
Sowing method
For green manure, seeds should be sprinkled and sown. Due to which, if there is more number of plants, more organic matter will be obtained.
Irrigation – Due to taking green manure crop in summer, 4-5 irrigations are required. The crop should not dry up and irrigation should be continued as per the demand of the land.
Harvest time
At the stage of 40 to 45 days of sowing, the crop grown for green manure should be plowed with disc harrow or cultivator, mixed with the soil and irrigated and to prevent early rotting of the crop, 1 liter of water should be applied. A solution of bio-decomposer should be prepared and sprayed per acre. So that the Kharif crop can be sown on time.
Amount of organic matter and nutrients obtained from green manure of Sanai –
Sl. Description Quantity Organic matter
1 Green organic matter 7.36 tonnes per acre
2 Dry organic matter 1.88 tonnes per acre
Amount of nutrients
1 Nitrogen 18.16 kg. per acre
2 Phosphorus 1.40 kg. per acre
3 Potash 20.76 kg. per acre
Comparison of nutrients available in green manure with other fertilizers –
| Sl. Fertilizer Nitrogen | Nitrogen | Phosphorus | Potash |
| 1 Green Manure | 2.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| 2 cowdung manure | 0.50 | 0.20 | 0.50 |
| 3 Vermicompost | 0.80 | 0.50 | 0.60 |
8 Benefits of green manure –
The use of green manure has the following benefits in the soil –
- It increases the amount of organic matter in the soil, which increases the activity of soil microorganisms.
- Through green manure crops, unabsorbed nutrients from the lower surface of the soil come to the upper surface of the soil.
- It increases the availability of some nutrients like phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron etc.
- It also improves the structure of the land.
- Green manure increases the number of micro-organisms in the soil.
- Helps in controlling weeds by suppressing them.
- Green manure improves alkaline and saline soils.
- Green manure is helpful in achieving higher production.
Also Read – How to cultivate Anacyclus pyrethrum? What are the uses of medicines? Everything We Know
FAQs –
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