IPM 205-7 (Virat)
From ICAR-IIPR Kanpur — sold as "Virat", among the fastest-maturing moong varieties (~55 days), with green, shining seed and triple disease resistance.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Zaid / summer
- Maturity period
- 52–56 days
- Expected yield
- 13–15 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Highly resistant to yellow mosaic disease, powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot
- Release
- Released 2016 by ICAR-IIPR, Kanpur (CVRC notification), sold under the trade name "Virat".
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
IPM 205-7 — sold under the trade name 'Virat' — is a distinct, faster-maturing ICAR-IIPR Kanpur mungbean (green gram) release notified in 2016, with a wide multi-state recommendation (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh). ICAR-IIPR's own current variety database lists it maturing in about 55 days, among the fastest widely-grown moong varieties in India, at 13–15 q/ha, with green, shining, attractive seed and high resistance to yellow mosaic disease, powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot. The older, slower-maturing 'IPM 02-3' release is a separate ICAR-IIPR variety, covered on its own page — see 'IPM 02-3'.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Virat when time is your tightest limit. At about 55 days it is ready roughly a week before Pusa Vishal and SML 668 (60–65 days) and about two weeks before IPM 02-3 (65–70 days). It also covers yellow mosaic, powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot, the same three diseases as Shikha. The catch is the yield figure: the institute gives 13–15 q/ha, but the Directorate of Pulses Development gives only 10–11, so budget on the lower one, which puts it level with Samrat and Pusa Vishal at 10–12 rather than ahead of them. Choose IPM 410-3 (Shikha) instead if you can spare about 10 more days and want 13–16 q/ha with fewer pickings, or Pusa Vishal if bold grain matters more than speed.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- One of the fastest-maturing widely-sold moong varieties in India (~52–56 days), useful for squeezing an extra crop into a tight window between two main crops.
- A wider disease-resistance stack than most older moong varieties — yellow mosaic disease, powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot together — plus green, shining seed that IIPR markets as a grade advantage.
Things to consider
- Official sources differ on yield: ICAR-IIPR's own current variety page gives 13–15 q/ha, while the Directorate of Pulses Development's released-varieties list gives a notably lower 10–11 q/ha. The originating institute's current figure is used as the main value rather than averaging the two. Duration is more consistent across sources (52–56 days per DPD, 55 days per ICAR-IIPR), so it is stated as the inclusive range.
- IPM 205-7 'Virat' (2016) and IPM 02-3 (2009, distinctly slower) are two separate ICAR-IIPR Kanpur releases, not the same variety under two names — see 'IPM 02-3' for the other.
- The reported IPM 2-1 × EC 398889 parentage rests on a single source and the release paper is not available to check, so treat it as reported, not confirmed.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Tamil Nadu
- Madhya Pradesh
- Gujarat
- Rajasthan
- Maharashtra
- Uttar Pradesh
What a week saved is worth: Virat in a tight gap
Virat earns its place in the gap between two main crops. At about 55 days it is ready a week or more before the other short-duration moong compared here, so the next crop can go in a week or more sooner. When one field must be cleared and the next crop sown on time, that week can decide whether a moong crop fits at all.
Do the sum backwards. Take the date the next crop must be sown, subtract about 55 days, and that is the latest you can sow Virat. For a 60–65 day variety the same date falls 5–10 days earlier. If the field is not free by then, do not sow moong at all.
Short duration does not mean less care. Virat is rated highly resistant to yellow mosaic, powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot, which cuts the spraying you might otherwise plan, but you still need to look at the field. Budget on 10–11 q/ha, the lower of the two published yields, and treat anything up to 13–15 q/ha as a bonus.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Moong (Green Gram) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPM 02-3 | A well-tested north-west moong for kharif or summer, with strong yellow mosaic resistance | 65–70 days | 12–15 q/ha | Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh |
| IPM 205-7 (Virat)this page | The fastest moong on this list, about 55 days, with three disease resistances | 52–56 days | 13–15 q/ha | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh |
| IPM 410-3 (Shikha) | High published yield and pods that ripen together, so fewer pickings and a smaller labour bill | 60–65 days | 13–16 q/ha | Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh |
| Pusa Vishal | Very bold, shiny moong grain that earns a better market grade, for summer sowing in the north-west | 60–65 days | 10–12 q/ha | Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh |
| Samrat (PDM 139) | Early kharif moong for eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where yellow mosaic is the worry | 60–65 days | 10–12 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar |
| SML 668 | A short, dwarf moong for the gap between wheat harvest and the next kharif sowing | 60–65 days | 8–10 q/ha | Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh |
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 Moong (Green Gram) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Moong (Green Gram) 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 Moong (Green Gram) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Moong (Green Gram) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Moong (Green Gram) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Moong (Green Gram) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Moong (Green Gram) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Is 'Virat' the same variety as IPM 02-3?
No. IPM 205-7 'Virat' (2016, ~55 days) and IPM 02-3 (2009, 65–70 days) are two separate ICAR-IIPR Kanpur releases; see 'IPM 02-3' for the slower-maturing variety.
What's the main practical reason to choose 'Virat' over an older moong variety?
Its ~52–56 day duration is among the shortest of any widely grown moong variety, which lets it fit as a catch crop in a tighter window than most alternatives. Its triple disease-resistance stack (yellow mosaic disease, powdery mildew, Cercospora leaf spot) cuts spray needs relative to older, more disease-prone lines.
Which yield should I plan on for Virat, 10–11 or 13–15 q/ha?
Plan your costs on the lower figure, 10–11 q/ha. ICAR-IIPR, which bred the variety, gives 13–15 q/ha, and the Directorate of Pulses Development lists 10–11. Treat 13–15 as the top of the range, not as the number to count on.
How many days sooner is Virat ready than other moong?
About a week sooner than Pusa Vishal and SML 668 (60–65 days), and about two weeks sooner than IPM 02-3 (65–70 days). IPM 410-3 (Shikha) takes about 65 days. Virat is the quickest of the moong varieties compared here.
Is Virat a hybrid? Can I sow seed from my own crop?
It is not a hybrid. Virat is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from your own crop grows the same kind of plant. Keep seed only from your healthiest plants, dry it well, and buy fresh certified seed after a few seasons.
Virat or Shikha — which one for my moong?
Virat if time decides your rotation: about 55 days against about 65 for Shikha. Shikha if labour decides: pods ripen fairly together so you need fewer pickings, and it is published at 13–16 q/ha. Both cover yellow mosaic, powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot. Budget Virat on the lower yield figure, 10–11 q/ha.
Is Virat's parentage confirmed?
Not fully. The cross is reported as IPM 2-1 × EC 398889, but that rests on a single source and the release paper could not be checked. Treat it as reported, not confirmed. It does not change how you grow the crop; what matters in the field is the 55 days, the disease cover and your yield budget.
Sourced from: Varieties — ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research (IIPR), Kanpur. editorial policy.