Detail:

Farmers grow black gram and green manure plant kolunchi or Purple tephrosia (Tephrosia purpurea) together at the time of harvesting paddy. Once the paddy is harvested, the seeds germinate. As the black gram seed coat is not hard, it germinates earlier. Purple tephrosia seeds take longer time as their seed coat is very hard. After harvesting black gram, Purple tephrosia becomes the standing crop. Purple tephrosia can withstand drought conditions and animals do not feed on them. Later the purple tephrosia plant is ploughed in situ for manuring paddy. Sow black gram and green manure plant kolunchi or purple tephrosia (Tephrosia purpurea) together at the time of harvesting paddy.

Knowledge Provider / Innovator: Dr S Murugan Dr D Bhaskaran, Tamil Nadu Veterinary University Thirunagar, Madurai
Agro-Ecological Zone: Madurai, Ramanathnpuram, Tirunelveli, Dindugal. Pudukkottai district excluding Aranthangi taluk
Address: Madurai Tamil Nadu
District: Madurai
State: Tamil Nadu
PIN Code 625005

Formulation: Black gram and green manure plant kolunchi or Purple tephrosia (Tephrosia purpurea)
Ingredients: The seeds of black gram and kolunchi or Purple tephrosia (Tephrosia purpurea) plant.

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PAS 1:

"Soil organic matter and clay particles hold large stores of plant nutrients. These reservoirs, however, are not all available to the crop. In an organic crop rotation, the grower manages soil organic matter and nutrient availability by incorporating different crop residues, cycling among crops with different nutrient needs, using cover crops, and adding organic soil amendments. Most crops deplete soil nutrients during their growth cycle. Some of these nutrients leave the farm as harvested products, and the rest return to the soil as crop residues. The nutrients in residues may or may not be available to the next crop. Crop roots and residues improve soil fertility by stimulating soil microbial communities and improving soil aggregation. This improved soil physical environment facilitates water infiltration, water holding, aeration, and, ultimately, root growth and plant nutrient foraging. This section will review different ways that crop rotations affect soil fertility. [Crop Rotation Effects on Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition"
https://www.sare.org/publications/crop-rotation-on-organic-farms/physical-and-biological-processes-in-crop-production/crop-rotation-effects-on-soil-fertility-and-plant-nutrition/ ]