Mung Bean Sowing Time, Fertilization Methods and Cultivation Techniques Explained

We know that the heat-clearing effect of mung beans lies in the skin, while the detoxifying effect lies in the flesh. Mung bean soup is a common household summer heat-clearing beverage, cooling and appetite-stimulating, suitable for all ages. Now let us take a look at when mung bean seeds should be sown, how to fertilize, and what cultivation techniques are involved.

1. When should mung bean seeds be sown?

The best time for spring sowing of mung beans is from May 10 to 25, and summer sowing is best from June 10 to 20, and should not be later than the end of June; for summer-sown mung beans in the Jinzhong region, varieties with a short growth period should be chosen as far as possible, and sowing should be done before July 10. Mung beans are a warm-loving crop; if spring sowing is too early, individual development is poor, the growth period is prolonged, and yield decreases. For summer-sown mung beans, early sowing is better: seedlings grow robustly, and the flowering and pod-setting stage falls in the high-temperature and rainy period, which is favorable for flower and pod formation, with more pods, more grains, heavier grains, and higher yield. In addition, when mung beans are sown early, the seedling stage occurs before the rainy season arrives, which is good for field management, allowing timely thinning, intertillage and weeding, and achieving uniform and strong seedlings with no weed overgrowth, no soil compaction, and no pest or disease damage. Sowing too late will cause poor nutrition in the early stage, miss the high-temperature period, prevent large-scale flower and pod formation in the later growth stage, reduce grain weight, and make the plants susceptible to waterlogging and low-temperature effects, causing reduced yield.

2. How should mung beans be fertilized?

1. For base fertilizer, applying human excrement and urine, plant ash, kang soil, and pig, chicken, and sheep manure is best, at 1000-3000 kg per mu.

2. Topdressing should be timely and appropriate, preferably applied in furrows between rows at the seedling stage and flowering stage, with 5-10 kg or 8-15 kg per mu of urea or compound fertilizer respectively. From the branching stage to the harvest stage, 1.0% urea and 0.5% potassium dihydrogen phosphate can be sprayed throughout the entire period, generally once every 10-15 days.

3. What cultivation techniques are there for mung beans?

The sowing methods for mung beans include drilling, hill sowing, and broadcasting, with drilling being the most common. The sowing rate should be determined according to variety characteristics, climatic conditions, and soil fertility, adapting to local conditions. Generally, the seeding rate should be guaranteed to be more than 2 times the number of seedlings to be retained. If the sowing rate is too large, seedlings will be crowded and weak seedlings will easily form; if the sowing rate is too small, missing seedlings and broken rows will result. If the soil quality is good, soil moisture is sufficient, pests are few, land preparation quality is good, and small-seeded varieties are being sown, the sowing rate should be somewhat lower; otherwise, the sowing rate can be appropriately increased. In view of the weak ability of mung bean cotyledons to push through the soil and the population growth habit of the plants being “dense but not resistant, sparse but not growing,” the sowing rate should be appropriately increased on heavy clay soil. Generally, drilling is 1.5-2 kg per mu, broadcasting is 4 kg, and the seed rate for intercropping and relay cropping depends on the planting situation. Sowing depth has a great influence on the emergence rate and should be determined according to soil conditions, moisture, seed size, sowing date, and other factors. On clay soil and moist soil, sowing depth should be shallow, with 3-4 cm being appropriate; on loose soil and soil with poor moisture, sowing depth should be 4-5 cm. In June and July, when there is more rain and higher temperatures, it should be shallower; in spring, when soil moisture evaporates quickly and temperatures are lower, it can be slightly deeper.