Cultivation of French Bean or Kidney Bean (Phaselous vulgaris)
Botanical Name:
Phaselous vulgaris L.
Family:
Leguminaceae.
French bean is valued as vegetable and seed. it is extensively grown as green vegetable.
Climate:
Kidney bean is day neutral crops. It is very sensitive to high temperature and frost. Soil temperature approximately 32.2 0 C (90 0F ) is essential for maximum vegetative growth.
Soil and its Preparation:
French bean can be grown or practically in almost all type of soil from light sandy soil to heavy clay soil. The optimum soil PH for getting good crops is 5.3 to 6.0. The land is prepared thoroughly by 5-6 ploughing.
Sowing of Seed:
a) Time of Sowing:
The seed is sown in June – July and January- February in the plains and from March to the beginning of May in the hills.
b) Seed Rate:
The seed rate is 40 to 50 kg/ha.
c) Layout and Spacing:
The seed may be sown by dibbling, drilling and broad casting at a depth of 2.0 to 3.0 cm; the seeds should be inoculated with rhizoidal culture before sowing. The flat bed layout is use. Spacing is 45 X 20 cm. recommended by PKV, Akola.
Interculture Operation:
Shallow cultivation is given to keep the crop free from weeds. Herbicides such as dinitomaterial 2 – 3 kg per acre and sodium salt of pentachlorophenol @ 6 kg per acre as per- emergence treatment have been effective in controlling the weeds.
Irrigation:
The soil must have sufficient moisture. Irrigation should be given just prior to blooming, during flowering and pod development stage.
Harvesting:
The green pods become ready for harvesting after 45 to 75 days of sowing according to the variety and they should be picked as and when they are ready. The dry beans harvested when a large percentage of pods are fully ripe and most of the remainder has turned yellow. Harvesting should be started before the lower pods dry enough to shelter.
Yield:
Yield obtained 40 – 50 quintal green pods/ ha.
Varieties:
There are numerous varieties in French bean and they can be broadly classified according to the habit into bush and pole beans.
a) Bush bean variety:
Pencil wonder, contender, Pusa parbati, Arka komal, jampa, bountiful, prider.
b) Pole bean variety:
keatuki wonder, premier, VPF – 191.
Phule Surekha:
Developed by selection from cv. Jama improved. Suitable for cultivation in Kharif, rabi and spring summer season. Pods are 9 -10 cm long, flat and light green in colour. Recommended for Kolhapur, Satara, and Sangli and Pune district of Maharashtra. Resistant to anthracnose, leaf crinkle, yellow mosaic and wilt disease. Average release committee of Maharashtra, it is also notified by the central subcommittee on crop standards, notification and varietal release at the national level.