Fenugreek (Methi)

1. Land Preparation One deep ploughing and a planking. Fenugreek is a legume and fixes its own nitrogen, so it does well as a catch crop between two main crops and leaves the land better than it found it. 2.

Rabi Sowing Oct–Nov Harvest Mar–Apr 40–80 maund per acre

Land Preparation

One deep ploughing and a planking. Fenugreek is a legume and fixes its own nitrogen, so it does well as a catch crop between two main crops and leaves the land better than it found it.

Sowing Time & Method

Sow October–November in rows 20–25 cm apart, 2–3 cm deep.

Seed Rate & Treatment

10–12 kg per acre for leaf, 8–10 kg for seed.

Fertilizer

Per acre: 1 bag DAP at sowing. Nitrogen is barely needed — the crop fixes its own, and adding urea gives leaf at the cost of seed.

Irrigation

Every 12–15 days. Fenugreek is drought hardy but needs water at flowering and pod fill.

Weed Control

Weed Damage Control Product
Sweet Clover (Senji) Looks like methi when small, gets cut into the bundle, and its sweet smell spoils the taste of the sag. Pull it out by hand at the three-week weeding
Lambsquarters (Bathu) Overtops the short crop and shades it, and its stalk ends up in the cut bundle. Weed at three weeks and pull any that escapes
Scarlet Pimpernel (Billi Booti) Spreads flat under the dense stand and its leaf gets mixed into the cut sag — it is poisonous. Hand weed before the first cutting
Canary Grass (Dumbi Sitti) Comes up with the crop, overtops it by the first cutting and shades the methi, so the second cutting comes thin. Pull it with the root at the three-week weeding — cut off at the top it only tillers again
Wild Onion Weed (Piazi) Takes over on light sandy land and its clump crowds out the methi around it. Pull the clumps out with the root at the three-week weeding

One weeding at three weeks.

Insect Pests

Aphid on shoot tips. Very few pests otherwise — this is one of the cleanest crops you can grow.

Diseases

Powdery mildew and downy mildew in humid weather. Root rot in waterlogged patches.

Crop Care

For leaf, take the first cutting at 25–30 days and two or three more after.

Harvesting

Leaf from 25–30 days. For seed, harvest when the pods turn yellow-brown, in the morning to avoid shattering. Dry in shade to keep the aroma — sun-dried methi loses the smell that it is bought for.

Expected Yield

Leaf 40–80 maund per acre; seed 6–10 maund per acre.

Pests & diseases of Fenugreek (Methi)

Phosphorus Deficiencymedium Micronutrient Deficiencymedium