Pulses, being rich in proteins (20-25 per cent) and minerals, constitute an important part of human diet. They serve as a low-cost protein to meet the needs of the larger section of the people. They also play an important role in balancing the vegetarian diet. Pulses are fairly good sources of thiamin and niacin, and provide calcium, phosphorus and iron. These also constitute a part of animal feed and fodder. Moreover, being legumes, these crops fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, thereby, improving its (soil) fertility. The addition of organic matter through leaf shedding further improves the soil health. Pulses require less inputs as compared to cereals and play an important role in crop diversification. But the production of pulses in Punjab isvery less, so there is a dire need to bring more area under this crop. Both moong and mash are the main pulses, grown during kharif season in Punjab. Generally, very low yields of moong and mash are obtained by farmers as both the crops are cultivated on very light and low fertility soils. The adoption of scientific techniques for their cultivation as recommended by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) can be of great help to the farmers in enhancing their productivity as well as profitability. The recommended practices for the scientific cultivation of kharif moong and mash are as follows:
展开▼
