Mash Bean (Urd)

Land Preparation

One or two ploughings. Mash is largely a rainfed barani crop, sown into monsoon moisture.

Sowing Time & Method

July, with the monsoon. Rows 12 inches apart.

Seed Rate & Treatment

8–10 kg per acre, treated and inoculated.

Fertilizer

Half to one bag DAP at sowing.

Irrigation

Rainfed. Give one irrigation at flowering if the monsoon fails.

Weed Control

Weed Damage Control Product
Horse Purslane (Itsit) Covers the ground before the mash canopy closes and takes the moisture and nitrogen of the first month, leaving a thin stand. Hoeing at 25–30 days, while the weed is still small
Crowfoot Grass (Makra) Comes up thick with the monsoon, clumps around each plant and takes the water at pod setting, so the pods fill short. Hoeing at 25–30 days; pull the clumps out with the root
Purple Nutsedge (Deela) Its tubers take the nitrogen and moisture through the first month, while the crop is branching, and the stand comes up thin and low-podded. Hoe at 25–30 days and lift the tubers out with the plant; a hoeing that only cuts the shoots brings it back within days
Common Purslane (Kulfa) Its thick, juicy mat spreads over the moist soil and keeps the seedlings out of the sun through the first month, so they stay weak and thin. Hand weeding — carry the pulled plants out of the field, because a broken piece left on moist soil roots again

One hoeing at 25–30 days.

Insect Pests

Whitefly, jassid and pod borer. Whitefly matters most for the virus it spreads.

Diseases

Yellow mosaic virus and leaf crinkle. Both are spread by whitefly and managed by controlling it and removing infected plants.

Harvesting

Cut when most pods are black. Thresh after drying.

Expected Yield

6–10 maund per acre.

Pests & diseases of Mash Bean (Urd)

Jessidmedium Whiteflyhigh Stem Borerhigh Cotton Leaf Curl Virushigh Zinc Deficiency (Khaira)medium Phosphorus Deficiencymedium Micronutrient Deficiencymedium