Guar ( Guar Gum) : A New Profitable Crop

[executivedirectoraci]

Guar gum, also called guaran, is a galactomannan..

Guar gum is an extract of the guar bean, where it acts as a food and water store. The guar bean is principally grown in India and Pakistan, with smaller crops grown in the U.S., Australia, China, and Africa. The drought-resistant guar bean can be eaten as a green bean, fed to cattle, or used in green manure. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum. It is typically produced as a free-flowing, pale, off-white colored, coarse to fine ground powder. Indeed Guar is vegetable, India is native of guar or cluster bean where it is used as a vegetable. For hundreds of years Guar has been used as vegetable in India. It is also used as a cattle food, and as a green manure crop in agriculture.

Guar gum comes from the endosperm of the seed of the legume plant Cyamopsis tetragonoloba; an annual plant, grown in dry regions of India as a food crop for animals. There are various grades of Guar gums pure or derivative. Guar gum is a white to creamy colored, free flowing powder and free from extraneous matter. Its ability to suspend solids, bind water by hydrogen bonding, control the viscosity of aqueous solutions, form strong tough films have accounted for its rapid growth and use in various industries.

For example guar gum is used in paper, textile, oil drilling, mining, explosives, ore flotation and other various industrial applications.

 

[executivedirectoraci]

Indian Guar Market

 India has been a major player in the context of guar and guar gum in the global market.

 India’s production contributes to 80% of the world’s total production figuring up to 6 lakh tons.

 Rajasthan wholly retains the credit for India’s position producing 70% of the production itself.

 Guar is largely consumed as a vegetable in the Indian subcontinent. It is also used in making pickles.

 25000 tons of the total production in the country constitutes to the domestic market.

 Guar gum has a vast range of industrial applications and the major share of demand comes from various industrial sectors only.

 India is the leading net exporter of guar seeds and guar gum. The country exports over 117000 tons of guar and its derivatives, which is comprised by 33000 tons of refined split guar gum, and 84000 tons of treated and pulverized guar gum.

 The net worth of the Indian exports is estimated over Rs 5000 crores.

 The production list of guar is dominated by India as a leading producer of this crop. The consumption pattern of guar seeds is largely influenced by the demands from the petroleum industry of United States of America and the oil fields in the Middle East as the derivative products of these seeds are quite useful in the petroleum drilling industries.

 United States alone constitute to around 40 thousand tons of guar and its derivatives demand.


Also, in rest of the world, the trend of consumption has increased with time that has lead to the introduction of this crop in many countries

 

[executivedirectoraci]

Guar Gum History

Guar is a native to the Indian subcontinent. Guar is grown mainly in India, Pakistan, United States and also in some part of Africa and Australia.

In old times, Guar was only used as rich protein to feed cattle. It is also used as green vegetable in India. After Second World War there was major shortage of locust bean gum which adversely affected the textile and paper industries. At that time Guar Gum was found as the most suitable substitute for scarce locust bean gum. In 1953 the extraction technology of guar gum was commercialized in USA and India after decade of period.

The guar plant is an annual plant known as 'Cyamopsis Tetragonaloba'. The important source of nutrition to human and animals is the legume, it regenerates soil nitrogen and the endosperm of guar seed is an important hydrocolloid widely used across a broad spectrum of industries.

The guar plant flourishes in extremely drought resistant and semiarid regions where most plants perish. It grows best in sandy soils. The ideal areas for farming are West, Northwest India and parts of Pakistan. The major processing centers of Guar Gum are in the North Western states in India.

The guar plant grows from 2 feet to 9 feet high. The plant’s flower buds start out white and change to a light pink as the flower opens. The flowers turn deep purple and are followed by fleshy seed pods which ripen and harvested in summer.
The seed pods grow in clusters giving guar the common name cluster-bean. A gum extracted from the guar beans forms a gel in water, commonly referred to as guar gum. Guar is extremely drought

resistant and thrives in semi-arid regions where few plants thrive. When limited moisture is available the plant will stop growing but does not die. Guar gum is also known as guarkernmehl, guaran, goma guar, gomme guar and galactomannan.

 

[executivedirectoraci]

Guar harvesting period

A growing season of guar is 14 to 16 weeks and requires reasonably warm weather and moderate flashing rainfall with plenty of sunshine. Too much rain can cause the plant to become more 'leafy' resulting thereby reducing the number of pods or the number of seeds per pod which affects the size and yield of seeds. The crop is generally sown after the monsoon rainfall in the second half of July to early August and is harvested in late October early November. The Guar is a naturally rain fed crop. Depending on the monsoon rainfall the total size of Guar crop varies from year to year. After harvesting, when the pods become dry through sunlight, they are beaten off and during this process, the seeds come out of the pods.


Seasonality

The seed is normally sown during the second half of July to August after the monsoon rainfall starts, and harvested during October and November. The crop requires 3-4 spells of rain during seed setting and maturing, which is during September first week and the end of September

 

[greensb]

Guar gum in tamil nadu

Is this crop grown in tamil nadu for the said industrial purpose? If so, please state the region & farmer contact details.
If looks positive, my company will be interested to pursue.

 

[executivedirectoraci]

This is a new crop for the Tmilnadu so it I cant say who is growing? Many new farmers have asked me to share the POP of Guar. I have also send the guar seed to them for agriculture cultivation purpose.

 

[sure192]

Is this crop grown in tamil nadu for the said industrial purpose? If so, please state the region & farmer contact details.
If looks positive, my company will be interested to pursue.

Hello sir,
I am from Tamil Nadu, I got the seeds and going to cultivate 5 acres this season. Since demand for this seed is high in USA, I am going to give it a try in my farm. Still need to find where can I sell my guar seeds after harvest.

 

[executivedirectoraci]

You can sell it in your local Mandi or you can sell it us. We will purchase it the market price of the selling period.

 

[sure192]

You can sell it in your local Mandi or you can sell it us. We will purchase it the market price of the selling period.

Dear sir,

I dont think in tamilnadu, we call sell in mandi. the government need to create some awareness among the farmers and encourage to cultivate a crops which does not need more water . In Tamilnadu this year rainfall is beow the normal average, many farmers dont know the concept that crops like guar can survive and grow in drought prone areas and which also got high demand in market.

Government always insists and encourage to cultivate rice/millets/oil crops. It is so pathetic to hear the news that goverment alloted Rs 500 per hectare to get a releif from this drought loss to every farmers. Not telling other good alternative ideas.

 

[executivedirectoraci]

Yes I am agree with you that directly you can't sell the new produce in your near by Mandi. But if the significant production will start the trader will automatically enter in this business. Govt must introduce this crop if there is deficiate rainfall...

 

[executivedirectoraci]

We will provide all the details free through this business Talk to the growers. IF you have any query about Guar, Guar gum, Guar cutlivation, Guar export. please ask us we wil happy yo revert them.

How to prepare the Land for the Guar Crop cutlivation.

Guar crop requires a well prepared field, with adequate soil moisture for its seed germination. During early growth period, soil aeration encourages root development and bacterial growth. Therefore, field should be ploughed to fine tilth by giving two or three deep ploughing with soil-turning plough, followed by harrowing and planking. The field should be free from weeds and other crop residues. Arrangements for drainage channel-cum-water channel for heavy rain- fall areas or irrigated areas should be made while preparing the field. The farm yard manure should be mixed with soil at the time of last ploughing. You can cultivate Guar in any type of the soil . Please avoid the water logging condition. It will also improve the soil. It is a leguminous crop so the it will help full for the nitrogen fixation in the soil.

 

[editorialteam]

Dear Mr. Prajapat,

In one of your earlier posts you had mentioned 'It will improve the soil health.. ' please explain in detail.

Regards,
Shweta

 

[executivedirectoraci]

Guar is a leguminous crop, which assist in the nitrogen fixation in the soil. It also increase the nitrogen fixation bacteria in the soil. Guar is one of the best green manure crop. Farmers are using it since decades.

 

[executivedirectoraci]

Time of sowing

Summer crop of guar in northern India is sown in March, while kharif crop in June. For grain crop, the best time of sowing is during July. Early sowings result in more vegetative growth, lodging and loss of yield. The best sowing time for fodder crop is April. In Peninsular India, guar is sown in September. In South India, it is sown at any time between February to October. Guar sowing time is adjusted to May-June to increase supply of vegetable pods. Crop sown in June in Haryana and in July in Punjab gives better production of vegetable pods.

One can go for the guar crop as green manure purpose. More than 2 month old crop is plough back in the soil. The germination does'nt take place properly in low temperature.

 

[executivedirectoraci]

Spacing In The Guar Crop

A spacing of 45 cm between rows and 15 cm, between plants is given for crops grown for grain production. However, spacing is generally reduced under late sowing and poor soil fertility conditions. Closer spacing of 30 X 12 cm is provided for fodder crop. A wider spacing of 60 X 30 cm is desirable for crops grown for green vegetable pod production. In some are Guar crop is taken as inter cropping. On that condition we can use the single row of Guar crop between two or three row of another crop.

 

[subodh]

Guar Gum-reg

Dear Sir,

Pl. let me know if Guar Gum can be cultivated in Dehradun, Uttarakhand

Subodh Kumar
subodhkumar40@yahoo.co.in

 

[executivedirectoraci]

Seed rate of Guar Crop.

Seed rate of guar crop varies from 20 kg to 40 kg per hectare depending upon soil moisture and spacing. About 20 kg seed per hectare is sufficient for grain crop. Seed rate for crops grown for fodder or green manuring is about 40 kg per hectare. Seed rate is normally increased under late sown condition, dry condition, and soil salinity or alkalinity conditions. In dough condition the seed rate can be increased, so that at the time of the weeding we can remove the diseased or unhealthy or abnormal plant.

 

[karsan]

guwargum

Due to the low and late rainfall the Gaur are expected to reach on new height. The Guar Crop is western Rajasthan is in poor condition. After the sowing there is no rain fall. It the situation remain continue the rate of Guar might be go up toward a new height. Since the demand of the Guar Gum is as it is. The people who are cultivation under the irrigation condition might be get an advantage.

I have sown guwargum crop in5 acres land, crop will be ready by November .where i have to sell produce whether to marketyard or to factory processing guwargum seeds?can you enlight more about market and current price.

 

[sasur]

Hello Sir

I have just recently purchased 3 acre land near Koratagere (Tumkur District) in Karnataka and i am looking for some profitable cultivation. Can you please send me more detials to my email id?

Regards,
Srinivas

 

[executivedirectoraci]

Dear Srinivas Sir,
You can contact us for the profitable crosp. In this forum i would like to suggest you guar cultivation. It will improve your soil and will work as a green manure to your farm. I will also suggest to the other visitor one must take guar crop in the farm in one season in a year. It is leguminous crop so it will fix the nitrogen and increase the population of the micro-organism in the soil.