Moth Bean (Matki)
Vigna aconitifolia
The toughest pulse India grows — a short-duration, sprawling desert legume that sets a grain crop on the sandy, marginal, low-rainfall land of the Thar where almost nothing else survives, fixes its own nitrogen, covers and holds the loose soil against erosion, and feeds the matki-sprout, dal and Bikaneri-bhujia trade. It asks for little: a thin stand sown with the monsoon, no waterlogging, and a yellow-mosaic-resistant variety with early whitefly control.
Quick Summary
The key points from this page in about two minutes — read it or have it read aloud.
Quick Summary
Moth bean (moth / matki, Vigna aconitifolia) is the most drought-hardy pulse grown in India, and the signature kharif legume of the arid Thar tract — Rajasthan grows the overwhelming majority of the national crop, with Gujarat, Haryana and parts of the south adding smaller areas. It is a short-duration (about 60–75 days), low-growing, sprawling, deep-rooted legume that can set a grain crop on light sandy soils and a short, erratic rainfall of just 150–300 mm, in a season and on land where moong, gram or almost any other pulse would fail.
Its toughness comes from genuine developmental plasticity — the plant adjusts its growth to the moisture available and can set at least some pods through a long dry spell — which is why it has been studied as a model drought crop and why it is a true famine-insurance pulse for the desert. As a legume it fixes its own nitrogen and, grown as a low sprawling cover, it binds and protects the loose sandy soil against wind erosion, so it is valuable in the farming system beyond its grain.
The crop is simple and low-input. It is broadcast or drilled thinly with the first good monsoon rain into a light, well-drained seedbed, needs only a modest basal feed, and asks for one or two weedings in the first month. Over-watering and waterlogging do far more harm than drought, so it is grown rainfed and never irrigated heavily. The one disease that genuinely matters is yellow mosaic virus, spread by whitefly — a resistant variety and early whitefly control are the main defence — and pod borer, jassids, hairy caterpillar and the storage pulse beetle are the pests to watch.
Moth bean feeds a real and distinctive market: the matki (sprouted moth) trade, split dal, and above all the moth-flour snack industry — the famous Bikaneri bhujia and other namkeens are made from moth. It trades on the Rajasthan markets (Jodhpur, Nagaur and other arid-tract mandis) as a priced pulse, though it is a minor crop without a central MSP of its own. Grown with a thin stand, a resistant variety and no over-watering, moth bean is the lowest-risk, most dependable grain a farmer can put on dry, sandy, marginal desert land.
- Crop type
- Short-duration drought-hardy kharif pulse (legume), rainfed
- Season
- Kharif — sown with the monsoon (Jun–Jul)
- Suitable states
- Rajasthan (overwhelmingly), Gujarat, Haryana, and arid tracts elsewhere
- Growing duration
- Short — about 60–75 days
- Water requirement
- Very low; the most drought-hardy pulse, grown on 150–300 mm rain
- Temperature
- Hot, dry, ~25–40°C; thrives in desert heat
- Soil type
- Light, sandy, marginal arid soils; needs good drainage, pH ~6.5–8
- Difficulty level
- Easy — a low-input, low-risk desert pulse
- Expected yield
- ~300–650 kg/ha grain rainfed; higher in a good monsoon
- Key risk
- Yellow mosaic virus (whitefly), waterlogging, and over-dense sowing
Overview
Moth bean (moth / matki, Vigna aconitifolia) is the most drought-hardy pulse grown in India and the signature kharif legume of the arid Thar. Rajasthan grows the overwhelming majority of the national crop, with Gujarat, Haryana and smaller southern areas adding to it. It is a short-duration (~60–75-day), low, sprawling, deep-rooted legume that crops on light sandy soils and a short, erratic 150–300 mm rainfall where other pulses fail.
Its value rests on genuine drought-hardiness — the plant adjusts its growth to the moisture available and can set some pods through a long dry spell — plus its role in the farming system: as a legume it fixes its own nitrogen, and as a low sprawling cover it binds and protects loose sandy soil against wind erosion. It is a true famine-insurance pulse for the desert.
The crop is simple and low-input: a thin stand sown with the monsoon, a modest basal feed, one or two early weedings, and no heavy irrigation (over-watering and waterlogging harm it more than drought). Its one serious disease is yellow mosaic virus, spread by whitefly — a resistant variety and early whitefly control are the main defence. Moth feeds the matki-sprout, dal and famous Bikaneri-bhujia snack trade and sells on the Rajasthan markets as a priced pulse.
Crop timeline, sowing to harvest
A quick visual map of the season — jump to any section below for the detail behind each stage.
- Day 0
Sowing
Seed is broadcast or drilled thinly into a light, well-drained seedbed with the first good monsoon rain; it germinates in 4–6 days.
- Day 15–25
Early growth & weeding
The sprawling plant covers the ground; one or two weedings in the first month, while the crop is small, prevent weeds from smothering it — the main early operation.
- Day 25–40
Branching & flowering
The plant branches and sprawls, fixing nitrogen through its root nodules, and begins flowering; whitefly control now protects against yellow mosaic virus.
- Day 40–60
Pod formation & filling
Pods form and fill low on the sprawling plant; the crop's drought-hardiness carries it through dry spells at this stage, setting at least some pods even in a poor monsoon.
- Day 60–75
Maturity & harvest
Pods dry and the crop matures in about 60–75 days; because pods mature unevenly and shatter, it is often cut or pulled as the bulk of pods turn, then dried and threshed.
Suitable states
States where this crop is grown at scale, highlighted below. Your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra is still the final word for your specific block.
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Himachal Pradesh
- Punjab
- Uttarakhand
- Haryana
- Delhi
- Uttar Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- Bihar
- Jharkhand
- West Bengal
- Sikkim
- Assam
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Meghalaya
- Nagaland
- Manipur
- Mizoram
- Tripura
- Gujarat
- Madhya Pradesh
- Chhattisgarh
- Maharashtra
- Odisha
- Goa
- Telangana
- Andhra Pradesh
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Tamil Nadu
- Puducherry
- Ladakh
- Chandigarh
- Lakshadweep
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
Grown here
Climate requirements
Moth bean's whole value is as a desert pulse — grow it rainfed on light, sandy, marginal land, sow a thin stand with the monsoon, and never over-water; drought it can handle, waterlogging it cannot.
Ideal temperature
A hot, dry-climate crop that thrives in the high summer temperatures of the desert, roughly 25–40°C. It is well adapted to intense heat and strong sun, which is part of why it succeeds where cooler-season or more tender pulses cannot.
Rainfall
The most drought-hardy pulse in India — it can set a grain crop on a short, erratic rainfall of just 150–300 mm, and its developmental plasticity lets it adjust to dry spells and still set at least some pods. It is grown rainfed; crucially, it does not tolerate waterlogging or heavy continuous rain, which rot the sprawling plant and do more damage than drought.
Humidity
Prefers a dry atmosphere; prolonged humid, wet weather encourages leaf disease and pod rot on the low-sprawling canopy and favours the whitefly that spreads yellow mosaic virus.
Sunlight
A full-sun crop that revels in strong desert sunshine.
Soil requirements
Its best use is on the light, sandy, low-rainfall, marginal land of the arid tract that will not pay a more demanding crop — moth bean turns that desert land into a dependable pulse-and-fodder harvest and protects the loose soil from wind erosion.
Suitable soil
Grows on light, sandy, marginal arid soils — including the loose desert sands where little else crops — and this is exactly where it is most useful. It tolerates poor, low-fertility land and needs above all good drainage; it does poorly on heavy, waterlogging-prone clay.
pH range
Tolerant of a fair range, roughly pH 6.5–8, including the slightly alkaline soils of the arid tract.
Drainage
Good drainage is essential — the sprawling plant rots in standing water, so waterlogging does more harm than a dry spell; the light sandy soils it grows on drain naturally, which suits it.
Organic matter
Needs little; a legume, it fixes its own nitrogen and crops on low-fertility sand, though a modest dressing of farmyard manure or a phosphorus application lifts the yield.
Land preparation
Same four steps whichever region you are in — only the timing shifts with the sowing window.
- 1
Prepare a light, weed-free seedbed
One or two shallow ploughings to a rough tilth are enough on the light sandy soils; the aim is a clean, weed-free bed that conserves the little monsoon moisture.
- 2
Add a modest basal phosphorus dose
Work in a small basal dose of phosphorus (and a little nitrogen as a starter) before sowing — as a legume the crop needs little nitrogen, but phosphorus supports nodulation and yield on the poor sandy soils.
- 3
Sow with the first good monsoon rain
Time the sowing to the first good monsoon rain so the seed germinates into moist sand; the short-duration crop then fits the brief desert growing window.
Seed information
How the main varieties compare, so you can pick by duration, yield, disease pressure or what you are growing for.
| Variety | Duration | Yield | Disease resistance | Best state | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A widely grown early Rajasthan moth bean variety (from RARI Durgapura) maturing in about 61–64 days, valued for its drought-hardiness and used as the breeding parent of the mutant variety RMO-435 — a standard choice across the arid tract. | ~61–64 days (early) | Dependable rainfed yield; drought-hardy | Drought-hardy; good field tolerance | Rajasthan and the arid tract | Early, drought-hardy rainfed cultivation |
A Rajasthan recommended moth bean variety maturing in about 61–64 days, grown as a standard early, drought-hardy rainfed type across the arid belt alongside RMO-40. | ~61–64 days (early) | Dependable rainfed yield; drought-hardy | Drought-hardy; good field tolerance | Rajasthan and the arid tract | Early, drought-hardy rainfed cultivation |
A Rajasthan moth bean variety on the state recommended list, identified in a CAZRI arid-environment trial as the best seed-yielder among the varieties tested — a good choice where yield on dry land is the priority. | ~60–65 days | Best seed-yielder in an arid-environment trial | Drought-hardy; good field tolerance | Rajasthan and the arid tract | Rainfed cultivation prioritising seed yield |
A variety released in 2022 by SKRAU, Bikaner, developed as a gamma-irradiation mutant of RMO-40, with an average yield of about 6–6.5 q/ha and a 65–67-day maturity — a recent improved choice for the Rajasthan arid tract. | ~65–67 days | ~6–6.5 q/ha average | Drought-hardy; improved field performance | Rajasthan (SKRAU Bikaner region) | Recent improved rainfed cultivation |
One of the earliest-maturing moth bean varieties at about 58–60 days, on the Rajasthan recommended list — valued where the growing window is very short and the monsoon unreliable. | ~58–60 days (very early) | Dependable in a very short season | Drought-hardy; good field tolerance | Rajasthan and the arid tract | Very short, uncertain growing windows |
One of the recent ICAR-CAZRI (Jodhpur) moth bean releases (in the CAZRI Moth-4 to Moth-7 series) bred for the arid zone, reported to show marked resilience and continued pod-set through a prolonged moisture-stress spell in a dry El Niño year. | ~60–70 days | Resilient yield under moisture stress | Bred for drought resilience in the arid zone | Rajasthan arid zone (CAZRI region) | Drought-prone, moisture-stress-prone tracts |
A moth bean variety on the Seednet recommended list for Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Haryana, in the medium-maturity group (about 70–90 days) — a wider-adapted option beyond the earliest Rajasthan types. | ~70–90 days (medium) | Dependable yield in its recommended states | Good field tolerance | Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana | Medium-duration cultivation across arid/semi-arid states |
- Seed rate
- About 8–12 kg/ha (roughly 3–5 kg/acre) broadcast or drilled — moth bean is sown thin because the plant sprawls and covers the ground; an over-dense stand competes with itself, lodges and yields poorly.
- Certified seed
- Buy fresh, certified seed of a named, yellow-mosaic-resistant/tolerant variety from the Rajasthan State Seeds Corporation, an ICAR institute (ICAR-CAZRI, Jodhpur), a state university (SKRAU/RARI) or a KVK; moth bean is self-pollinated, so a true-to-type variety can be seed-saved from a clean, disease-free crop.
- Spacing
- Rows about 30 cm apart with plants 10 cm within the row for a drilled crop; broadcast crops are sown thin and not thinned, letting the plant sprawl to cover the ground.
- Seed treatment
- Treat seed with a fungicide against seed-borne disease and inoculate with the right Rhizobium culture for good nodulation and nitrogen fixation on the poor sandy soils; a seed-dressing insecticide helps against early whitefly where yellow mosaic is a regular problem.
Sowing guide
Do not sow too thick — an over-dense moth stand competes with itself, lodges and yields poorly — and do not sow on waterlogging-prone land or over-water, as the sprawling plant rots in standing water.
- Best time
- Sow the kharif crop with the first good monsoon rain, from about late June to July, so the short-duration crop completes within the brief desert growing window. Early sowing into good moisture gives the best, most uniform stand.
- Row spacing
- 30 cm (drilled)
- Plant spacing
- 10 cm (drilled); broadcast crops sown thin, not thinned
- Sowing depth
- Shallow — about 3–4 cm into moist sand
- Method
- Broadcast or drill the treated, Rhizobium-inoculated seed thinly into a light, well-drained seedbed with the monsoon rain. The plant sprawls to cover the ground, so a thin stand is right; weed once or twice in the first month while the crop is small.
Fertilizer schedule
A split dose beats one large dose applied at sowing — nitrogen especially is lost to the air and to leaching if it all goes in on day one.
- 1
Basal (at sowing)
At field preparation / sowing
Work in a modest basal dose — commonly around 10–15 kg N (a starter) and 20–25 kg P₂O₅/ha — before sowing; as a legume the crop fixes most of its own nitrogen, so phosphorus matters more than nitrogen.
- 2
No routine top-dressing
Not usually needed
Moth bean is a low-input legume and does not usually need a nitrogen top-dressing; a foliar nutrient spray at flowering can help on very poor land in a good monsoon year.
Irrigation schedule
1. Establishment
Rely on sowing rain
The crop establishes on monsoon moisture; it is a rainfed desert pulse and is normally not irrigated at all.
2. Flowering & pod fill
One light irrigation only if available and a severe dry spell hits
Where a protective irrigation happens to be available, a single light watering through a severe dry spell at flowering/pod-fill can save the crop — but moth bean is grown precisely because it does not need irrigation.
Critical stages
- Flowering
- Pod filling
Water-saving tips
- Moth bean is the water-saving pulse itself — it is grown to crop without irrigation, so treat any watering as a rare, one-off rescue, not a schedule.
- Good drainage matters far more than water; never let water stand around the roots of the sprawling plant.
- A thin stand and timely early weeding conserve the little soil moisture the short-duration crop needs.
Weed management
Common weeds
Organic control
- One or two hand-weedings or inter-row hoeings in the first three to four weeks are usually enough, while the crop is small.
- The sprawling plant itself closes over and shades out later weeds once it covers the ground — part of why it is a good soil cover.
- A clean, weed-free seedbed at sowing reduces early weed pressure on the small crop.
Chemical control
- A pre-emergence herbicide cleared for pulses (such as pendimethalin on recommendation) may be used, followed by one hand-weeding; confirm the product and dose with your KVK.
Nutrient deficiency identification
What a shortage of each nutrient actually looks like on the plant, so you can tell a deficiency apart from a disease before you spray the wrong thing.
Phosphorus
Visible symptom
Stunted plants with poor root nodulation and weak branching on the poor sandy soils; the nutrient that most limits moth bean yield.
Nitrogen
Visible symptom
Pale green older leaves early on, usually only where nodulation has failed (poor inoculation) — a well-nodulated legume fixes its own nitrogen.
Iron
Visible symptom
Yellowing between the veins of the youngest leaves while the veins stay green, mainly on the alkaline sandy soils of the arid tract.
Diseases to watch for
Symptoms, likely cause and what actually treats it — not just a spray name.
Yellow mosaic virus
- Symptoms
- Bright yellow mosaic mottling and patches on the leaves, which spread until whole leaves and plants turn yellow; infected plants are stunted and set few or no pods — the single most damaging disease of the crop.
- Cause
- A begomovirus spread by the whitefly, worst in warm, humid spells and where whitefly populations build up; not seed-borne but carried by the vector from other hosts.
- Treatment
- There is no cure for an infected plant — rogue out and destroy infected plants early, and control the whitefly vector promptly to protect the rest of the crop.
- Prevention
- Grow a yellow-mosaic-resistant or tolerant variety (the main defence), control whitefly early with a seed treatment and need-based sprays, rogue out infected plants, and avoid over-dense stands that favour the vector.
Dry root rot (charcoal rot)
- Symptoms
- Sudden wilting and drying of plants, usually at flowering/podding in a hot dry spell, with a shredded, blackened root and lower stem bearing tiny black fungal bodies.
- Cause
- The soil-borne fungus Macrophomina phaseolina (charcoal rot), favoured by high soil temperature and moisture stress — exactly the hot, dry conditions of the arid tract.
- Treatment
- No effective in-crop cure once a plant is affected; remove badly affected plants and manage soil moisture and heat stress where possible.
- Prevention
- Treat seed with a fungicide/Trichoderma, maintain a healthy unstressed crop, rotate away from other susceptible hosts, and avoid very late sowing into the hottest, driest conditions.
Powdery mildew
- Symptoms
- A white, powdery coating on the leaves and stems, mainly later in the season, which in a heavy attack dries the foliage early and reduces pod fill.
- Cause
- A powdery-mildew fungus favoured by warm, dry days with cool, dewy nights late in the season.
- Treatment
- A wettable sulphur or recommended fungicide spray at first sign on a susceptible crop in a year when it builds up; often the short-duration crop matures before it does much damage.
- Prevention
- Grow tolerant varieties, avoid very late sowing, and keep the crop vigorous.
Cercospora leaf spot
- Symptoms
- Small brown-to-grey spots with darker margins on the leaves, enlarging and merging in a wet spell until leaves yellow and fall, reducing pod fill.
- Cause
- Cercospora fungi, spread by rain-splash and favoured by a humid, wet spell — unusual in the arid tract but a risk in a wet monsoon.
- Treatment
- A protective mancozeb or recommended fungicide at first sign in a wet year; usually minor on a desert crop.
- Prevention
- Use a thin, open stand, clean seed, and clear crop residue; rarely a serious problem in the dry tract.
Pests to watch for
What to look for before the damage is visible, and organic options before you reach for a chemical.
Whitefly
- Identification
- Tiny white flying insects on the undersides of the leaves, rising in a cloud when disturbed, with sticky honeydew and sooty mould; the key vector of yellow mosaic virus.
- Damage
- Sap-sucking weakens the plant, but the real damage is as the vector of yellow mosaic virus — controlling whitefly early is central to protecting the crop from the disease.
- Organic control
- Yellow sticky traps to monitor and trap, neem sprays, conserving natural enemies, and growing a resistant variety so the virus the whitefly carries does less damage.
- Chemical control
- A seed-dressing insecticide and need-based sprays against whitefly, timed early before yellow mosaic spreads; avoid routine over-spraying, which flares the pest.
Pod borer (Helicoverpa)
- Identification
- Caterpillars boring into the pods and eating the developing seed, leaving holes and frass; the pod is hollowed from inside.
- Damage
- Directly destroys the grain in the pod — the harvested product — and a heavy attack at podding is a serious loss.
- Organic control
- Pheromone traps to monitor, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or an NPV spray against young caterpillars, bird perches, and conserving natural enemies.
- Chemical control
- A recommended insecticide timed against young larvae before they bore into the pods; once inside they are hard to reach.
Jassids (leafhoppers)
- Identification
- Tiny green wedge-shaped insects on the undersides of the leaves that hop when disturbed; feeding causes yellowing and curling of the leaf margins ("hopper burn").
- Damage
- Sap-feeding weakens the plant and reduces pod set; a heavy early attack checks the young crop.
- Organic control
- Neem sprays, conserving natural predators, and growing a vigorous, unstressed crop; usually kept in check by natural enemies.
- Chemical control
- A recommended insecticide where populations build up heavily on the young crop; often the same spray that controls whitefly.
Hairy caterpillar
- Identification
- Clusters of hairy caterpillars that feed gregariously on the leaves, skeletonising and defoliating patches of the crop, often appearing suddenly after rain.
- Damage
- Defoliates the crop in patches; a heavy, sudden attack can strip a young crop quickly.
- Organic control
- Collect and destroy the early gregarious clusters by hand, use a light trap for the moths, and spray Bt or neem against young caterpillars.
- Chemical control
- A recommended insecticide against a heavy infestation, targeting the young caterpillars before they scatter.
Common mistakes to avoid
The mistakes that cost growers the most, ranked by how often they show up in the field — not in the order you might expect.
- 1
Sowing the crop too thick.
Why it hurts
Moth bean sprawls and covers the ground, so it is sown thin. An over-dense stand competes with itself, grows leafy, lodges and yields poorly — aim for a thin stand of about 8–12 kg/ha and let the plant spread.
- 2
Over-watering or sowing on waterlogging-prone land.
Why it hurts
Moth bean is the most drought-hardy pulse, but it rots in standing water — waterlogging does far more damage than a dry spell. Grow it rainfed on light, free-draining sandy land and treat any irrigation as a rare rescue, not a routine.
- 3
Ignoring yellow mosaic virus and whitefly.
Why it hurts
Yellow mosaic virus, spread by whitefly, is the one disease that genuinely cuts the crop — infected plants stunt and set few pods. Grow a resistant/tolerant variety, treat the seed, control whitefly early, and rogue out infected plants; do not wait until the field is yellow.
- 4
Not inoculating the seed with Rhizobium.
Why it hurts
As a legume moth bean fixes its own nitrogen through root nodules, but only if the right Rhizobium is present in the poor sandy soil. Inoculating the seed ensures good nodulation and yield; without it the crop may show nitrogen hunger and crop poorly.
- 5
Leaving a ripe crop standing too long.
Why it hurts
Moth pods mature unevenly and shatter, and a ripe crop left standing loses grain to shattering and to birds and animals. Cut or pull as the bulk of the pods turn, then dry and thresh promptly.
Harvesting
Harvest when the bulk of the pods have turned brown and dried, about 60–75 days after sowing — because the pods mature unevenly and shatter, the crop is usually cut or pulled as the main flush of pods ripens rather than waiting for every pod, then dried on a threshing floor and threshed. The sprawling plant is also valued as fodder after threshing.
Signs it is ready
- Bulk of pods turned brown and dry
- Seed hard inside the pod
- Cut/pulled before heavy shattering and bird loss
- Plant drying down; the short season complete
Tools
- Sickle or hand-pulling for the low, sprawling plant
- Tarpaulin and a threshing floor or small thresher
- Winnowing to clean the grain
Expected yield
About 300–650 kg per hectare of grain on rainfed arid land, going higher in a good monsoon year, plus a useful fodder yield from the sprawling haulm — a dependable return for a very low-input desert crop.
Post-harvest & storage
Storage
Dry the grain well before storage; well-dried moth bean stores for long periods, but is a favourite of the storage pulse beetle (bruchid), so store clean, dry grain in airtight containers or treat it, and check periodically. Dehulled dal and moth flour have a shorter life.
Packaging
Store in clean, dry gunny bags or airtight bins kept off the floor and away from damp; airtight storage both keeps moisture out and controls the pulse beetle.
Transportation
Transport the clean dry grain in bags as for any pulse; the hard grain travels and keeps well when properly dried.
Shelf life
Whole dry grain keeps for a year or more in good, pulse-beetle-free storage; dal and flour are best used within a few months.
Market prices
Today's mandi price near you, pulled live from the government's own Agmarknet data.
Live daily mandi prices from the government Agmarknet dataset.
Synced from data.gov.in (Agmarknet). Rates are ₹ per quintal.
Weather
Current conditions and a 5-day outlook for your selected location, with one line of stage-aware advice.
Pick your state for current conditions and a 5-day outlook.
Live data from Open-Meteo
Profit calculator
Your own cost sheet, expected yield and selling price — not ours.
Where the money goes
Share of the total cost per acre, using the calculator’s own default cost sheet below — adjust the numbers there to match your field and this picture will no longer apply to you exactly, but the ranking rarely changes.
- Labour31% (₹4,000)
- Land rent31% (₹4,000)
- Pesticide & weedicide9% (₹1,200)
- Machinery9% (₹1,200)
- Fertiliser6% (₹800)
- Interest6% (₹700)
- Seed4% (₹500)
- Irrigation2% (₹300)
Official downloads
Government and ICAR documents only — everything below is hosted on an official server.
ICAR-CAZRI, Jodhpur
Moth bean (CAZRI Moth) varieties and arid-zone package of practices
SKRAU, Bikaner / RARI Durgapura
RMO-40, RMO-225, RMO-435 and other Rajasthan released varieties
Rajasthan State Seeds Corporation / Seednet
Recommended moth bean varieties and certified seed
Kisan Call Centre — 1800-180-1551
Free crop advice in your language
Frequently asked questions
Why is moth bean so drought-hardy?
Moth bean is the most drought-hardy pulse India grows because of its genuine developmental plasticity — the plant adjusts its growth and flowering to the moisture available and can set at least some pods through a long dry spell, where a less adaptable pulse would fail completely. Combined with a short 60–75-day duration, a deep root system and a sprawling ground-covering habit, this lets it crop on the light sandy soils and short 150–300 mm rainfall of the Thar desert. It has even been studied as a model drought crop.
Why should I sow moth bean thin?
Because the plant sprawls and spreads to cover the ground, so it needs room. An over-dense stand competes with itself, grows leafy, lodges and yields poorly. Aim for a thin stand of about 8–12 kg/ha and let the plant spread — this both maximises yield and makes the crop a good soil cover that binds the loose sand against wind erosion.
What is the main disease of moth bean?
Yellow mosaic virus, spread by the whitefly, is the one disease that genuinely cuts the crop — infected plants show bright yellow mosaic mottling, stunt and set few or no pods, and there is no cure once a plant is infected. Grow a resistant or tolerant variety (the main defence), treat the seed and control whitefly early with need-based sprays, and rogue out infected plants rather than waiting until the field turns yellow.
Does moth bean need irrigation or heavy fertiliser?
No — it is grown precisely because it needs neither. It is a rainfed desert pulse that crops on 150–300 mm of rain, and it actually rots in standing water, so waterlogging harms it more than drought; treat any irrigation as a rare rescue. As a legume it fixes its own nitrogen, so it needs only a modest basal phosphorus dose (plus Rhizobium inoculation of the seed), not heavy fertiliser.
What is moth bean used for?
Moth (matki) feeds a real and distinctive market. It is eaten as matki sprouts (a popular sprouted pulse), as split dal, and above all as the base of the moth-flour snack industry — the famous Bikaneri bhujia and other namkeens are made from moth. The sprawling plant is also valued as fodder, and as a nitrogen-fixing soil cover in the cropping system. It trades on the Rajasthan markets as a priced pulse.
Does moth bean have an MSP and a mandi price?
Moth bean does not have a central MSP of its own — it is a minor pulse and is not among the crops the government sets a support price for. But it genuinely trades as a priced pulse on the Rajasthan arid-tract markets (Jodhpur, Nagaur and other mandis), and recent market reports put it in the rough range of ₹6,600–7,600 per quintal, driven partly by the snack-industry demand. Check your nearest mandi for the current rate before planning the crop.
Still have questions?
The FAQs above cover the common ones. For anything specific to your field and soil, your nearest Krishi Vigyan Kendra is the authoritative answer.