Leguminous Vegetable Cultivation and Seed Production S ...

Description of Selected Legumes
L Snap, String, or French Bean
Phaseolus vidgaris likely originated from Central America. It is commonly associated with
corn and squash culture in the tropical Latin American countries. It is an annual with epigeal
germination.
CIAT in Cali, Colombia has classified the world collection of this bean into the following
four main types by growth habit: (1) dwarf determinate, (2) dwarf indeterminate, (3) prostrate
indeterminate, and (4) climbing indeterminate. Beans are also classified according to use as
follows: snap or string beans (for tender fresh pods); green shell beans (green shelled condition,
normally bush and climbing varieties); and dry-shell or field beans (mature dry seeds);
a_lLus
Peas probably originated in Southwest Asia. It is a cool season crop in the subtropics and
also grown at higher altitudes in the tropics.
2, Mungbean
India or the Indo-Burmese region is the origin of mungbean. In South Asia it is one of the
major leguminous vegetable crops. In Southeast Asia it is one of the three main legumes.
4. Vegetable Soybean (Fdamame)
Soybean originated as a domesticate in the eastern half of northern China around the 11th
century BC. It was introduced from China to the USA, Japan, Korea, and South and Southeast
Asian countries at different times.
Large yellow or green-seeded varieties with gray hilum are preferred for use as vegetable
soybeans. Based on latitudinal adaptation soybean cultivars in the USA and Canada have been
classified into 13 maturity groups (MG). MG 000, 00, and 0 are early and adapted to extreme
north latitudes while MG IX and X are late and adapted to tropical latitudes. However, this MG
system breaks down in the tropical and subtropical latitudes.
Controlled Hybridization Procedures
1 . Mun . bean
India has done considerable research on mungbean through their "Pulse Scheme" since
1943. In 1967 an All-India coordinated Pulse Improvement Program commenced with yield and
disease resistance as the primary concerns. A number of varieties have been released (table 3).
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