Mash 338
Popular in the north-west; tolerates YMV and gives bold grain.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 85–90 days
- Seed rate
- 6 to 8 kg of seed an acre, treated with Rhizobium culture at sowing (PAU)
- Expected yield
- Medium (~8.6–8.7 q/ha)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Tolerant to yellow mosaic virus and leaf spot
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Mash 338 is an older Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana kharif urad release — a dwarf, short-duration plant type reaching harvest in about 90 days, with bold black seeds (6–7 per pod) and reported resistance to both mosaic virus and leaf spot, in addition to its yellow-mosaic-virus tolerance. Its average reported yield of around 3.5 quintals/acre (roughly 8.6–8.7 q/ha) is respectable for an older release but is now being overtaken. A 2006 PAU report that used it as a check variety found the newer Mash 114 outyielding it by about 45% in breeding trials and 20% in agronomic trials. PAU has since released further Mash-series varieties, including Mash 878, developed jointly with the Regional Research Station, Gurdaspur, for the North West Plain Zone. No release year is published for Mash 338 in the sources we found. Today it is mainly an older variety that farmers still grow, not PAU's current recommendation.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Mash 338 only if you already have its seed or you want its bold black grain on a dwarf plant. It is the slowest urad here, 85 to 90 days against 80 to 85 for Uttara, and its 8.6 to 8.7 q/ha sits at the bottom of the list, level with T-9's 8 to 10 and under Pant U 31's 9 to 11. A PAU comparison that used it as the check had the newer Mash 114 well ahead of it, and PAU has since released newer Mash varieties such as Mash 878 for the North West Plain Zone. Choose TAU 1 or Uttara instead for more yield in Punjab and Haryana, or ask PAU or your KVK about Mash 878 if you want to stay with the Mash series.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeIrrigated crop: 15 to 25 July in the sub-montane region and the last week of June to the first week of July in the rest of Punjab. Rainfed crop: with the onset of the monsoon (PAU)
- Seed rate6 to 8 kg of seed an acre, treated with Rhizobium culture at sowing (PAU)
- SpacingLines 30 cm apart, with the seed 4 to 6 cm deep, using a kera, pora or seed drill
- Fertilizer5 kg N (11 kg urea) with 10 kg P2O5 (60 kg single superphosphate) an acre, drilled at sowing (PAU)
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- A 2006 PAU comparison found newer Mash 114 outyielding Mash 338 by ~45% in breeding trials and 20% in agronomic trials — useful context that this is an aging, not current, PAU recommendation.
- No release year is published for Mash 338 in the sources we found.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Punjab
Keep it or switch: a simple test on your own field
If you grow Mash 338 today, you do not have to drop it in one season. The published gap is large, since a 2006 PAU comparison put Mash 114 about 20% ahead in agronomic trials, but your own field is the real test.
Next kharif, sow one strip of Mash 338 and one strip of a newer variety your KVK recommends. Use the same day, the same field and the same care. Harvest each strip into its own bag and weigh them.
If the newer strip gives clearly more, switch the whole field the year after. If the difference is small, or your buyer pays more for the bold black grain, keep Mash 338 and test again in two seasons. Either way, ask now where you will buy the seed next year.
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 Urad (Black Gram) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPU 02-43 | The South Zone's short urad, 70–72 days, with yellow mosaic and powdery mildew cover | 70–72 days | 10–12 q/ha | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha |
| IPU 94-1 (Uttara) | Higher-yield north Indian urad, 12–14 q/ha, with well-proven yellow mosaic resistance | 80–85 days | 12–14 q/ha | Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar |
| Mash 338this page | An older Punjab kharif urad with bold black seed, still grown but no longer PAU's newest | 85–90 days | Medium (~8.6–8.7 q/ha) | Punjab |
| Pant U 31 | The proven Gangetic plain urad, insensitive to day length, resistant to yellow mosaic, 70–75 days | 70–75 days | 9–11 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar |
| Shekhar-3 | Uttar Pradesh urad covered against four diseases: yellow mosaic, leaf crinkle, leaf spot and powdery mildew | 75–80 days | Medium–high | Uttar Pradesh |
| T-9 | The parent of most Indian urad: an old, medium-yield variety for Uttar Pradesh fields with little whitefly | 70–75 days | Medium | Uttar Pradesh |
| TAU 1 (Taru) | Urad for Haryana and Rajasthan with yellow mosaic and powdery mildew cover, from HAU Hisar | 75–80 days | 10–12 q/ha | Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab |
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 Urad (Black Gram) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Urad (Black 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 Urad (Black Gram) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Urad (Black Gram) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Urad (Black 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 Urad (Black 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 Urad (Black Gram) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Which institute released Mash 338?
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, though no release year is published.
Is Mash 338 still PAU's top recommendation?
No — a 2006 PAU comparison found newer Mash 114 outyielding it by about 45% in breeding trials, and PAU has since released further Mash-series varieties like Mash 878.
How much does Mash 338 yield?
Around 3.5 quintals/acre (roughly 8.6–8.7 q/ha) on average, per PAU-linked sources.
What disease resistance does Mash 338 have?
Sources report resistance to mosaic virus and leaf spot, in addition to its yellow-mosaic-virus tolerance.
How long does Mash 338 take to mature?
About 90 days — a dwarf, short-duration plant type, at the upper end of the 85–90 day band.
How is Mash 338 different from Mash 114 and Mash 878?
All three are PAU urad varieties. In a 2006 PAU comparison Mash 114 yielded about 45% more than Mash 338 in breeding trials and 20% more in agronomic trials. Mash 878 came later, developed with the Regional Research Station, Gurdaspur, for the North West Plain Zone.
How many seeds does a Mash 338 pod carry?
6–7 bold black seeds per pod, on a dwarf plant that reaches harvest in about 90 days.
Is 3.5 quintals an acre a good yield for Mash 338?
It is the average reported for Mash 338, roughly 8.6–8.7 q/ha. That is respectable for an older release but behind newer varieties such as Uttara at 12–14 q/ha. Compare the seed price with the yield gap before you buy.
Mash 338 or TAU 1 or Uttara — which for more yield in Punjab?
TAU 1 or Uttara. Mash 338 yields about 8.6–8.7 q/ha, among the lowest here, in 85–90 days. TAU 1 gives 10–12 q/ha in 75–80 days and Uttara 12–14 q/ha in 80–85 days. Keep Mash 338 only if you already have its seed and want the bold black grain.
Should I look at Mash 878 instead of Mash 338?
If you want to stay with the Mash series, yes. PAU has released newer Mash varieties such as Mash 878 for the North West Plain Zone. No yield or duration figure is available for Mash 878, so ask PAU or your KVK for its trial results and seed availability before you switch.
Sourced from: Package of Practices for Kharif Crops, Punjab Agricultural University: mash (urdbean) — Mash 338, sowing time, seed rate, spacing and fertiliser. editorial policy.