Free nitrogen, phosphate, potash from green manure | uses of sunn hemp (Janumu)

Summary

• Plants need 17 nutrients but NPK is the most critical; sunn hemp (Janumu / Crotalaria juncea) provides all three free of cost as green manure.
• Sowing sunn hemp before kharif and ploughing it in at 45-60 days adds nitrogen via root nodulation and improves soil organic carbon.
• Janumu also brings up phosphorus and potash from deeper soil layers, reducing chemical fertilizer dependence.
• Recommended for cotton, paddy, chilli and vegetable fields as a low-cost soil-health rotation.