Fenugreek farming also has its special place among the crops of the pulses family. Mainly Fenugreek is used to make vegetables, pickles, and laddus in winter. It has a bitter taste, but it has a delicious aroma and has many medicinal properties. It considered a cash crop. If farmers grow it commercially, then good profits can earned. Let us know how to cultivate it and what precautions should be taken in it so that good profits can be made even at a low cost. Keeping these things in mind, today we are giving information about fenugreek cultivation to our farmer brothers so that they can benefit from it.
Health Benefits Of Consuming Fenugreek
Fenugreek is a plant belonging to the leguminous family, smaller than 1 foot. Its leaves used for making greens, and its grains used as spices. It is very helpful in terms of health. Fenugreek seeds contain minerals like sodium, zinc, phosphorus, folic acid, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins C, B, and C.
Apart from this, nutrients like fibre, protein, starch, sugar and phosphoric acid are found in abundance in it. It is utilised in diabetes by making powder and consuming it. Its use is also very beneficial in stomach-related diseases. Its consumption provides relief from joint pain. Fenugreek is helpful in high blood pressure (high BP), diabetes and dyspepsia. Green Fenugreek helps in reducing blood sugar. Thus it is consumed as a treatment for many diseases. Be it green Fenugreek or fenugreek seeds. Consuming it in both methods is helpful in keeping the body healthy.
Fenugreek Production Leading States
In India, it successfully cultivated in all of northern India, including Punjab, Rajasthan, and Delhi. Rajasthan and Gujarat are the major Fenugreek-producing states in the country. More than 80 percent of Fenugreek produced in Rajasthan. Fenugreek mainly grown in the Rabi season, but in South India, it cultivated during the rainy season.
Facts To Know Before Fenugreek Cultivation
- The cool climate is ideal for the cultivation of Fenugreek. Its ability to withstand frost is higher in comparison to other crops.
- Areas with average rainfall are suitable for their cultivation and cannot cultivated in areas with high rainfall.
- Fenugreek can grown in all types of soils, but clayey soil with good drainage is more suitable for its cultivation. The land pH value should be between 6-7.
- In plains, it can sown from September to March, and in hilly areas, it can planted from July to August.
- If you are cultivating it for vegetables, sowing should done at an interval of 8-10 days. So that fresh vegetables are available at all times. And if you want to grow it for its seeds, it can sown until the end of November.
- Its sowing mainly done by sprinkling method.
- It is necessary to have moisture in the field at the time of sowing.
- Along with the fenugreek crop, earning can also done by growing radish alongside.
- Kharif crops like paddy, maize, green moong, and green fodder crops can grown along with Fenugreek.
Varieties
Kasoori Methi
This variety has developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Delhi. Its leaves are small and sickle shaped. Harvesting can be done 2-3 times in this. The specialty of this variety is that it flowers late and is yellow in colour, which also has a special kind of smell. This variety takes about 5 months from sowing to seed formation. Its average yield is 65 quintals per hectare.
Lam Selection
In the southern states, this variety grown for the purpose of taking seeds. This plant is of average height, but bushy. More branches come out in this.
Pusa Early Bunching
This early maturing variety of fenugreek has also developed by ICAR. Its flowers come in clusters. Harvesting can done 2-3 times in this. Its pods are 6-8 cm long. The seed of this variety is ready in 4 months.
Um112
It is one of the few fenugreek varieties that grow upright. Its plants are taller than averagThis variety is good in terms of both vegetables and seeds.
Kashmir Variety
The Kashmiri variety of Fenugreek, though similar in characteristics to the Pusa Early Bunching variety, is a late maturing variety of 15 days, which is more cold tolerant. Its flowers are white in colour and the length of the pods is 6-8 cm. It is a good variety for hilly areas.
Method Of Sowing Fenugreek
Before sowing Fenugreek:
- Prepare the field well.
- For this, make the soil friable by ploughing the area with the help of a tractor and you can buy it by watching a tractor video.
- At the time of tillage apply 150 quintals of cow dung per hectare. If there is a problem with termites in the field, then before planting the plant, quinalphos (1.5 percent) or methyl parathion (2 percent powder) should mixed at the rate of 25 kg per hectare.
After that stir well. It requires 12 kg of seed for sowing in one acre. Soak the Fenugreek seeds in water for 8 to 12 hours before sowing. To protect the seeds from pests and diseases, treat the seeds with Thiram@4gm and Carbendazim 50%WP@3gm/kg of seed. After chemical treatment, seed treatment with Azospirillum 600 gm + Trichoderma 20 gm per acre per 12 kg of seeds. Most of the Fenugreek sown by sprinkling method. At the time of sowing, keep the row-to-row distance 22.5 cm and plant the seed on the bed at a depth of 3-4 cm.
Manures And Fertilizers
At the time of sowing, apply 5 kg Nitrogen (12 kg Urea) and 8 kg Potassium (50 kg Super Phosphate) per acre. Triacontanol hormone 20 ml after 15-20 days of germination for good growth. Spray per 10 litres of water. A spray of NPK (19:19:19) 75gm/15Ltr of water after 20 days of sowing also helps in good and rapid growth. Brassinolide 50 ml to get a good yield. Spray after 40-50 days of sowing by mixing 150 litres of water per acre. Do a second spray after 10 days. To avoid fog attack, spray Thiurea@150gm/acre in 150Ltr of water at 45 and 65 days after sowing.
Weed Control
The first weeding done after 25-30 days of sowing, and the second weeding after 30 days of the first sowing. To control weeds chemically, the application of Fluchloralin@300gm/acre recommended. Also, give a spray of Pendimethalin@1.3Ltr/acre with 200Ltr of water within 1-2 days of sowing if soil moisture remains inside. When the plant reaches 4 inches high, tie it up to prevent it from disintegrating.
Irrigation Requirements For Fenugreek Farming
Irrigate before sowing for early germination of seeds. For a proper yield of Fenugreek, apply three to four irrigations after 30, 75, 85, and 105 days of sowing. Water shortage should not allowed at the time of pod development and seed development as it causes a heavy loss in yield.
Harvesting Process
For use as a vegetable, harvest this crop after 20-25 days of sowing. To obtain seeds, harvest them after 90-100 days of sowing. For grains, harvest it when the lower leaves turn yellow and drop and the pods turn yellow. After harvesting, tie the bale of the crop and keep it in sunlight for 6-7 days. Sort it when it is dry, then clean and grade.
How Much Yield And Profit Can Be Made?
If the seed is taken after 1 harvest, then the average yield is about 6-8 quintals per hectare, and if 4-5 cuttings are done, then the same output is reduced to about 1 quintal per hectare. The yield of bhaji or green leaves is approximately 70-80 quintals per hectare. Let us tell you that fenugreek leaves are also sold after drying, which fetches a price of up to Rs 100 per kg. If Fenugreek is cultivated scientifically, about 50000 rupees can be earned from 1 hectare.
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