Leguminous Vegetable Cultivation and Seed Production S ...

staking of the vines. In some places they are grown as a mixed crop with ragi, bajra or sorghum. It
is planted with a distance of about 1 m between crops. The ear heads of the intercrops are
harvested first leaving the stalks as support to the vines. The vines grow on them perfectly. If it is
grown as a sole crop it can be sown with a distance of 2.5 x 1.5 m. Three to four seeds are sown
per hill and one or two plants allowed to grow on each hill. Dwarf types can be grown at a distance
of 1.0 x 0.75 m line to line and plant to plant. About 20-30 kg seed are required to sow 1 ha of
bush type and 10-12 kg for climbing types.
Lablab beans can be grown in a wide range of soils of average fertility. About 20 kg N,
40 kg phosphorus, and 5-6 t FYM are required to grow a good crop in 1 ha of land.
Intercultivation can be done to control the weeds until vines spread between rows. Since lablab
beans cannot stand waterlogging, frequent irrigations should be avoided.
Ripe mature pods can be handpicked from the standing crop. Threshing can be done by
beating the pods with a stick, moving a stone roller over the pods, or under letting bullocks trample
them. Seed should be thoroughly cleaned and dried before bagging. Average seed yield is 6-
8 qt/ha.
Cluster Bean
The tender pods are used as a vegetable and in the southern part of India they are
dehydrated and stored for use. Cluster bean is a self-pollinated crop, yet some outcrossing, i.e. 2%
has been reported. Thus, lesser heterosis is available. Due to less seeds in each pod, economical
commercial hybrid seed production in cluster bean is not possible.
Seed Production Techniques The crop should be sown in well-drained sandy loam soil.
Cluster bean can also tolerate saline and moderately alkaline soils with pH ranging 7.5 to 8.0. It
prefers warm climates and can also be grown in subtropical areas during summer. It prefers longday
conditions for growth and short day for induction of flowering.
Main a row-to-row distance of 45-60 cm and plant-to-plant spacing of 10-15 cm. Seed rate
for line sowing is 15 kg/ha. To improve seed yield, 10-12 kg N, 50-70 kg P, and 50-70 kg K/ha
are recommended. One or two irrigations are needed in case rains are delayed.
Pull out the plants from the field after proper maturity of the pods. Keep the plants in the
leap for curing and proper drying for at least one week. Threshing should be done as in the other
beans. Store the seeds after proper grading and drying. The average seed yield per hectare is
10 qtl.
Pests of Beans
a.
b.
c.
d
ė.
f.
g.
h.
J -
Aphids (Aphis sp.)
Jassid (Amrasca kerni)
Galerucide beetle (Madurasia obscurella)
Pod borer (Adisura sp. Heliothis arinigera)
Bean weevil (Callosobruchus sp.)
Lygacid bug (Chauliops fallax)
Hairy caterpillar (Ascotis imparata)
Stem fly (Ophiomyia phaseoli)
Root weevil (Stiona lineal:0
Bean lady bird beetle (Epilachna varivestis)
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