Black Gram (Urad) Farming in India: Varieties, Production & Cultivation Techniques
Urad dal, also known as black gram, is a common lentil that is grown and consumed all over the Indian subcontinent. These small, black-coated legumes are used in a variety of Indian cuisines ranging from dal fry to fritters.
In this Blog, we will explore in-detail about this popular lentil, its benefits and uses, and best farming practices for successful Black Gram cultivation.
Table of Contents
- What is Black Gram (Urad) Cultivation mean?
- What are the different types of Urad Dal and their varieties?
- What is the Economic Scenario of Urad Cultivation in India?
- Top 5 Black Gram Producing State in India
- What are the Important Steps to Black Gram/Urad Cultivation?
- Final Thoughts
What is Black Gram (Urad) Cultivation mean?
The black gram of Urad Bean (Vigna Mungo) is an important pulse crop grown throughout India and different parts of southeast Asia. It is known by many different names such as Urd or Urad bean, Black lentil, Mungo bean in English. This lentil is consumed in the form of ‘dal’. It is highly priced as it provides a high nutritional value. Urad beans are rich in protein, dietary fibers, and micro-nutrients.
What are the different types of Urad Dal and their varieties?
- Whole Urad Dal (Black Gram)
- Split Urad Dal with Skin
- White Urad Dal without Skin
There are some popular varieties of Black Gram or Urad grown in India, which includes Pant Urad, Vamban, Shekhar, Azaad Urad and Kharegone.
What is the Economic Scenario of Urad Cultivation in India?
India continues to be one of the world's largest producers and consumers of urad (black gram). The crop plays an important role as it provides high nutritional value, strong domestic demand, and suitability for cultivation. It remains an important source of income for farmers, particularly in rainfed regions where it is grown as a short-duration crop.
According to the government's upag portal, India's total Urad production for the year 2025–26 is 21.60 lakh tonnes. This includes the Kharif, Rabi, and summer crops, with an average yield of 681 kg per hectare.
Top 5 Black Gram Producing State in India
Urad is cultivated across multiple seasons, with the kharif season accounting for the largest share of production.
|
State |
Production (Lakh tonnes) |
|
Madhya Pradesh |
5.30 |
|
Uttar Pradesh |
5.27 |
|
Andhra Pradesh |
4.29 |
|
Maharashtra |
3.80 |
|
Rajasthan |
3.79 |
What are the Important steps to Black Gram/Urad Cultivation?
In the section below, we have listed some important farming practices for Urad Cultivation, ranging from soil, climate requirements to land preparation, crop protection, and harvesting. Let’s discuss them in detail.
Soil & Climate Requirements
Urad can be grown on a different types of soils, ranging from sandy soil to heavy black soil. However, the most preferred soil should be well-drained loam with pH ranging from 4.7 to 7.5. Highly alkaline or saline soil can impede plant growth.
Urad thrives in warm climatic conditions, requiring temperatures between 25°C and 35°C during the growing season. The crops require well-distributed rainfall; however, excessive rainfall during pod-filling and maturity phase can damage the crop yield, affecting overall productivity.
Land Preparation
Achieve maximum black gram yields by ensuring fields are perfectly leveled and clear of weeds prior to sowing. Land preparation typically involves 1–2 deep ploughings, followed by 2–3 harrowing and planking to break clumps and retain soil moisture.
During the final ploughing, apply around 10 to 12.5 tonnes of FYM per hectare. Fertilizers should also be applied as a basal dose at this stage. The exact fertilizer requirement varies based on region, soil fertility, and season.
Sowing of Urad Crop
Sowing for Urad crops typically begins around late June to early July, usually at the onset of monsoon season. During this time, sowing needs to be done using about 12-15 kg of seed per hectare. Maintain a row spacing of 30-45 cm and a plant spacing of 10 cm.
In some regions, sowing also takes place in the rabi season for upland fields in the second half of October (18–20 kg seed per hectare) and for rice fallow fields in the second half of November (40 kg seed per hectare).
Seed Treatment
- To prevent soil and seed-borne diseases: Mix Thiram (2 g) + Carbendazim (1 g) per kg of seed or use Carbendazim @ 2.5 g/kg of seed.
- For pest control: Treat seeds with Imidacloprid 70 WS @ 7 g/kg seed.
- For better growth: Inoculate seeds with Rhizobium and PSB culture @ 5–7 g/kg seed.
Intercropping for Urad Dal
Here are some of the common intercropping combinations for Urad cultivation:
Kharif Season: Urad + Pigeonpea (1:1)
Spring Season: Urad + Sugarcane (2:1), Urad + Sunflower (2:6), Urad + Maize or Sorghum (3:2 or 1:2).
Other best suitable intercrops could include:
- Maize-Potato-Urd bean
- Maize-Toria-Urdbean
- Rice-Wheat-Urdbean
- Urdbean-Mustard-Mungbean/Urdbean
- Potato-wheat- Urdbean
Irrigation
In Kharif season, irrigation is usually not required. However, during the summer season 3-4 irrigation can be provided according to requirements. Generally, the crop should get irrigation at an interval of 10-15 days. From flowering to pod development stage, there is a need for sufficient moisture in the field.
Fertilizer Management
During the final ploughing, 15-20 kg/ha Nitrogen, 40-50 kg/ha Phosphorus, 30-40 kg/ha Potash, 20 kg/ha Sulphur should be administered. Phosphatic and potassic fertilizer should be applied according to the soil test. Fertilizer should be applied by drilling either at the time of sowing or just before sowing in such a way that they are placed about 5-7 cm below the seed.
Disease and Pest Control
|
Disease |
Symptom |
Prevention |
|
Yellow Mosaic Disease |
Bright yellow to green mosaic or mottle appearance of infected leaves |
Spray Buprofezin 25 EC @ 1000 ml/ha against its vector, whitefly. |
|
Powdery Mildew |
Disease initiates as faint dark spots, which develop into small white powdery spots. |
Spray with NSKE @ 50 g/liter of water or neem oil 3000 ppm @ 20 ml/lit. twice at 10 days interval from initial disease appearance. |
|
Leaf Blight |
The fungus attacks the stem at ground level, forming localized dark brown patches. |
Basal application of zinc sulphate @ 25kg/ha or neem cake @ 150 kg/ha or soil application P. fluorescens or T. viride @ 2.5 kg/ha + 50 kg of well decomposed FYM at the time of sowing helps in prevention of the disease. |
Pest & Insect Management for Urad Crop
|
Insect/Pest |
Damage |
Prevention |
|
Aphids |
Aphids can also transmit plant viruses, which can cause molting, yellowing, or poor yields. |
Spray with 5% crude neem extract or 2% neem oil 3000 ppm. |
|
Tobacco Caterpillar |
The larvae make irregular holes on the leaf surface and in severe infestation, they skeletonize the foliage. |
Spray of microbial pesticides like SlNPV 500 LE/ha or or Bacillus thurengenesis formulations in synchrony with early larval instars is effective against the pest |
|
Spotted Pod Borer |
The larva webs the leaves, inflorescence and feed inside the flowers, flower buds and pods. |
Spray Bacillus thuringiensis 5 WG @ 1.0 g/liter of water or foliar spray of Profenophos 50 EC @ 2.0 ml/liter of water. |
|
Pod Bug |
Pod bug (Claivgralla gibbosa) adults and nymphs damage leaves, flower buds, stem and pods by sucking cell sap. |
Spray Monocrotophos 36 SL @ 1.0 ml/liter water during flowering and at pod formation stage. |
Harvest, Post-Harvest & Yield
Urad is harvested 60-75 days after sowing. This is usually done when 70-80% of its pods have matured and turned black in color. The average yield for rainfed crops can go up to 700-800 kg/ha, whereas irrigated and well managed fields can reach 1000-1300 kg/ha. The preferred time for harvesting should be in the early morning as it minimizes seed loss. Post harvest, crops are dried on a threshing floor for several days, after which threshing is done with a thresher implement. The clean seeds are then sun dried for 3-4 days. The moisture level of the seeds should be below 10% as this helps prevent mold and ensures better storability.
Final Thoughts
Urad is an important pulse crop that supports farmer livelihoods in India. These crops can grow under diverse climate conditions. This helps in improving soil fertility and fit well into the cropping system, which makes it a valuable choice for farmers.
Frequently Asked Questions On Black Gram (Urad) Farming in India
1. Which state is the largest producer of Urad in India?
Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh are some of the largest Urad crop producing states in India.
2. What are the steps of growing Urad in India?
Urad cultivation requires different steps for growing which range from understanding soil and climate requirement, land preparation, sowing, intercropping, irrigation, and fertilizer management.
3. What is the profit per acre of Urad farming?
Urad farming can give up to 800-1000 kg/per acre, and even up to 10-12+ quintals with improved practices and hybrid seeds.
4. What does Urad Cultivation mean?
Black gram farming involves the cultivation of black gram (Vigna mungo), a short-duration pulse crop valued for its protein-rich seeds and wide range of culinary uses.
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