Madhu
A bushy horse gram released in 1978 for Bihar, with dark cream, red-spotted, medium-large seed. 105 to 110 days and 850 to 1,000 kg/ha. The oldest horse gram variety on DPD's table apart from CO 1.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- 105 to 110 days (DPD arid legumes table)
- Seed rate
- Line sowing 25 to 30 kg/ha for a grain crop, about 40 kg/ha if broadcast for grain and fodder (DPD package); no separate rate is published for Madhu. Treat the seed with carbendazim at 2 g a kg, then with Rhizobium and PSB culture at 5 to 7 g a kg.
- Expected yield
- 850 to 1,000 kg/ha (DPD)
- Suitable soil
- Light to heavy soils free from alkalinity; usually poor, well-drained land
- Release
- Released 1978 for Bihar · notified 19 December 1978 (notification no. 13)
About this variety
Madhu is a horse gram released in 1978 for Bihar. The Directorate of Pulses Development table gives 105 to 110 days and 850 to 1,000 kg/ha, a bushy plant with dark cream seed spotted red, medium-large in size. The national notified list carries it as Madhu with notification number 13 dated 19 December 1978. We found no disease rating, trial paper or breeder note, so the practice below is the crop-level practice from the DPD package.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Madhu if you farm horse gram in Bihar and value a bushy plant with medium-large seed from a long-known variety. DPD lists 105 to 110 days and 850 to 1,000 kg/ha, a little above Birsa Kulthi-1's 800 to 1,000. It is a 1978 release, one of the oldest on the table. The cost is time, two weeks longer than Birsa Kulthi-1, and no disease rating. Neither the DPD table nor the notified list, which gives only the notification number 13 and the date 19 December 1978, says anything more about it. If you want a disease rating, look at Birsa Kulthi-1.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeNo sowing date is published for Madhu. DPD's package says horse gram sowing in the main season is late August to November, and in West Bengal October to November.
- Seed rateLine sowing 25 to 30 kg/ha for a grain crop, about 40 kg/ha if broadcast for grain and fodder (DPD package); no separate rate is published for Madhu. Treat the seed with carbendazim at 2 g a kg, then with Rhizobium and PSB culture at 5 to 7 g a kg.
- SpacingRow spacing 40 to 45 cm in kharif and 25 to 30 cm in rabi, with about 5 cm between plants (DPD package).
- IrrigationMostly rainfed. If water is available, irrigate before flowering and at pod formation (DPD package).
- Fertilizer20 kg nitrogen and 30 kg P2O5 a hectare as a basal dose, placed 2 to 5 cm below and beside the seed (DPD package). Adjust by a soil test.
- HarvestingDPD gives 105 to 110 days. Harvest when most pods are yellowish brown.
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Light to heavy soils free from alkalinity; it is usually grown on poor, well-drained land (DPD package)
Climate
- Climate
- Warm, dry weather at 25 to 30 °C suits it; it does not grow well at high altitudes where the climate is cool and wet, and heavy rain in the early stage hurts nodule formation (DPD package).
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
105 to 110 days (DPD arid legumes table)
Expected yield
850 to 1,000 kg/ha (DPD)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- No disease rating found
Management notes
- Weeding: one early weeding or hoeing is enough because the crop grows thick; pendimethalin 0.75 to 1 kg a hectare before emergence, then one hand weeding at 20 to 25 days (DPD package).
- Do not sow into infected soil early: for root rot, treat the seed with 2 g of captan or carbendazim per kg and avoid early sowing in infested fields.
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Bushy habit with medium-large, dark cream seed spotted red.
- A yield listing of 850 to 1,000 kg/ha, a little above Birsa Kulthi-1.
- A long-known name, so farmers and traders in Bihar are likely to recognise it.
Things to consider
- Two weeks longer than Birsa Kulthi-1 (105 to 110 against 92 to 97 days).
- No disease rating, trial paper or breeder note found.
- A 1978 release: insist on a recent, labelled seed lot.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Bihar
What "bushy" and "red-spotted" change on your farm
Two words in DPD's note matter to a farmer. Bushy means the plant stands up rather than trailing, so it takes row spacing of 40 to 45 cm in kharif (25 to 30 cm in rabi) and is easier to weed between rows with one early hoeing, as the package advises. Dark cream with red spots means the grain does not look like the plain cream of Birsa Kulthi-1. If your buyer pays by sight, show him a handful before you commit to a whole field.
Medium-large seed also affects seed rate. DPD gives 25 to 30 kg/ha for line sowing as a crop-level figure, but larger seed weighs more per thousand grains, so count plants after emergence rather than trusting the weight alone. Aim for about 5 cm between plants in the row. Madhu has no disease rating, so treat the seed as the package says and keep a rotation.
Can you save seed from this crop?
This is a released open-pollinated variety, not a hybrid, and horse gram sets its own seed, so seed saved from healthy plants grows into the same type. Keep it apart from other horse gram and pick the pods together when most are yellowish brown.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Horse Gram (Kulthi) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birsa Kulthi-1 (Strain-43) | Bihar horse gram farmers who want a shorter, cream-seeded line with a leaf-blight rating | 92 to 97 days (DPD arid legumes table) | 800 to 1,000 kg/ha (DPD) | Bihar |
| CRHG-19 | Newest CRIDA release (2014) | 100 days (DPD arid legumes table, where it is listed as Cridaharsha) | Mean 760 to 1,300 kg/ha over locations, 20.22% above the best check; 65% above local in farmers' fields; 900 kg/ha in the DPD arid legumes table | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
| CRHG-4 (CRIDA Latha) | Black seed, non-shattering | 110 days (DPD arid legumes table, where it is listed as Cridalatha) | Mean 785 kg/ha over locations (range 700 to 1,100), 33.1% above the best check | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
| CRIDA-18R | Disease-tolerant, 85 to 87 days | 85 to 87 days (ICAR release note); 90 to 100 days (DPD arid legumes table) | 750 to 1,150 kg/ha in trials; 912 kg/ha in farmers' fields in Andhra Pradesh; 800 to 850 kg/ha in the DPD arid legumes table | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
| Gujarat Dantiwada Horsegram-1 (GHG-5) | Fields with a history of root rot or mildew, in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand or Jharkhand | 94 days (DPD arid legumes table) | 550 to 575 kg/ha (DPD) | Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand |
| Horsegram CO 1 | Bold seed, old line | 110 days (TNAU); 50% flowering at 55 to 60 days | 560 kg/ha rainfed (TNAU table) | Tamil Nadu |
| Indira Kulthi-1 (IKGH-01-01) | Chhattisgarh farms that want a black-seeded, long-podded horse gram tolerant of yellow mosaic | 95 days (DPD arid legumes table) | 800 kg/ha (DPD) | Chhattisgarh |
| Madhuthis page | Bihar farms that want an old, well-known, bushy horse gram with medium-large seed | 105 to 110 days (DPD arid legumes table) | 850 to 1,000 kg/ha (DPD) | Bihar |
| Paiyur 1 | Middle step, 650 kg/ha | 110 days (TNAU); 50% flowering at 45 to 50 days | 650 kg/ha rainfed (TNAU table) | Tamil Nadu |
| Paiyur 2 | Tamil Nadu rainfed, November | 100 to 105 days (TNAU); 50% flowering at 45 to 50 days | 870 kg/ha rainfed (TNAU) | Tamil Nadu |
| PHG-9 | Karnataka dry zones | 100 to 105 days (ICAR JSS KVK, Suttur) | About 3 to 4 quintals an acre (about 740 to 990 kg/ha) under proper care, per a KVK field day; no trial figure found | Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka |
| VL Gahat-10 | Uttarakhand hill farms that want the second state-listed gahat, a little shorter than VL Gahat-8 | 113 to 117 days (DPD arid legumes table) | 700 to 800 kg/ha (DPD); average yield potential 9.40 q/ha (ICAR-VPKAS sheet) | Uttarakhand |
| VL Gahat-15 (VLG-15) | Northern and central India farms with a short rainfed season that need a gahat finishing in about 90 to 100 days | 90 to 100 days (DPD arid legumes table) | 600 to 700 kg/ha (DPD); average yield potential 7.75 q/ha (ICAR-VPKAS sheet) | Uttarakhand |
| VL Gahat-19 | Uttarakhand hills (gahat) | 100 to 105 days, medium maturity (DPD arid legumes table) | 850 to 900 kg/ha (DPD arid legumes table) | Uttarakhand |
| VL Gahat-8 | Uttarakhand hill farms that plant in June on rainfed land and want a disease-resistant gahat | 115 to 135 days (DPD arid legumes table) | 900 to 1,000 kg/ha (DPD); average yield potential 12.33 q/ha (ICAR-VPKAS sheet) | Uttarakhand |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Horse Gram (Kulthi) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Horse Gram (Kulthi) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Horse Gram (Kulthi) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Horse Gram (Kulthi) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Horse Gram (Kulthi) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Horse Gram (Kulthi) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Horse Gram (Kulthi) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What is Madhu horse gram?
A horse gram released in 1978 for Bihar. DPD gives 105 to 110 days, 850 to 1,000 kg/ha, a bushy habit and dark cream seed with red spots, medium-large in size.
Is Madhu the same as Madhuri?
Do not mix it up with other crops. The national list carries other entries with look-alike names such as Madhuri. For horse gram the name is Madhu, notified on 19 December 1978. Check the crop on the tag as well as the name.
Does Madhu have any disease resistance?
No rating is published for it. DPD's package advises treating the seed with carbendazim, avoiding early sowing in root-rot fields, and growing resistant varieties against yellow mosaic. For a leaf-blight rating, Birsa Kulthi-1 is the Bihar name that has one.
Madhu or Birsa Kulthi-1?
Madhu: 105 to 110 days, 850 to 1,000 kg/ha, bushy. Birsa Kulthi-1: 92 to 97 days, 800 to 1,000 kg/ha, slightly trailing, with a leaf-blight rating. Both come from one DPD table with no head-to-head trial. Pick Birsa Kulthi-1 when you need the field sooner.
Sourced from: Popular varieties of arid legume crops (horse gram table) — Directorate of Pulses Development (dpd.gov.in), read from an archived copy, Notified varieties list (year of release, notification number and date) — Government of India, as hosted by Bihar DBT Agriculture, Horse gram package of practices (state variety lists, sowing, seed rate, fertiliser; source Directorate of Pulses Development) — Vikaspedia. editorial policy.