Best method to cultivate Sunhemp for plant manure

Farm Questions
1

I am planning to grow Sunhemp to serve as plant manure to improve the
fertility of the soil.

What’s the best method to cultivate Sunhemp for such purpose?
I have seen so many versions like soak the seeds overnight, broadcast and then plough, plough and then
broadcast, broadcast and use rotor.

Can someone who has experience growing Sunhemp share the best method? How many months would
it take to Sunhemp to grow for ploughing back into the soil?

2

You can adopt any method that suits to you but seeds should be buried atleast 1/2inch to 1inch under the soil. Soaking is not at all needed.
The differences told to by individuals may be based on their soil conditions. when tilled if soil becomes lumps, farmers adopt rotovating so ploughing method has nothing to do with sunhemp seeds.

3

Thanks for the clarification. Sorry for the newbie question. But how are the seeds broadcasted so that they are buried 1 inch under the soil?
Is it done through tractor ploughs or is there any other equipment?

4

if it is ox tilled till in usual method and broadcast later use a plank to level the soil.

If it is rotovating, use rotovator for 6inch and broadcast seeds and rotovate for much shallower depth.

5

Dear sri dds,

you can follow as said by Sri sir, comfortably. As said by him, Soaking is not required for sunhemp seeds germination.

As you asked, in detail, I will give my experience of sunhemp crop. first ploughed my land with tractor single plough. Spread required FYM and followed twice with cultivator ploughing, and finally with Rotovator. Spread seeds of Sunhemp seeds along with utcellu,(yerri nugulu ), Pilli pesara, Horse gram ( ulavalu ), and applied local wooden posts with Ox plough. Immediately used the sprinklers for watering, and continued daily.

It will take approximately 40 to 45 days to get flowering. After a flowering of 10 to 15% in the sunhemp plants, they are ready for ploughing in the soil. Then we cut the plants and after cutting we have spread, Bone meal and other required mannures for my coming crop and we ploughed it with cultivator twice , followed by Rotovator. As you asked, it will take hardly 45 days for the entire process.

Further, it may not be out of place to mention here to add Utchellu , Pilli pesara (wild Heara bedalu), Ulavalu ( horse gram ) etc , along with sunhemp seeds, sowing also is very good.

This will provide sufficient green mannure for our soil and enriches. Along with animal mannure and other mannures, green mannure is also equally important, and it plays a vital role.

with best wishes, g.p.rao, farmer

6

Found this short video

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65VQvf9_GQM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65VQvf9_GQM[/url]

7

Thanks for the video.

In the video the seeds are just broadcasted and not planted 1 inch deep into the soil.
Is this OK?

Also does the Sunhemp need any watering? If so, how much and the frequency we need to water?

8

in the video he is using the same plot that is to be manured

9

Sharing what I found when researching pre-soaking vs non-soaked

Effect of Pre-sowing Seed Treatments on Dormancy of Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea)

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334130342_Effect_of_Pre-sowing_Seed_Treatments_on_Dormancy_of_Sunn_hemp_Crotalaria_juncea#pf2

1 Like
10

Hi Bro
General tips about Seeds soaking technique

  1. Any seeds sprouts well when it is soaked in water overnight
  2. If they have waxy /hard coat/thick shell - then soaking is highly recommended.
  3. If the seeds size is very small normally soaking is not required as they can absorb moisture immediately, e g. green leafy vegetables
  4. In general Cereals and pulse seeds are soaked to get better germination percentage.
  5. In case of Sun hemp soaking is better to get better result.
  6. Soaking method: Take the seeds in cloth/jute bag and soak in a tank/barrel full of water for whole night then take it out and keep the soaked seed bags for a day under dark condition for one day. Then you can broadcast in the well-prepared land and cover the seed with soil uniformly.
  7. Some seeds having waxy coat may require hot water soaking but the temperature and soaking duration varies depending on the waxy coat on the seeds- FYI
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