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Sci Tech
Bush-type French beans
The French bean yields attractive pods with excellent cooking qualities.
By Our Agriculture Correspondent
A HIGH-YIELDING, bush-type French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) highly suitable for cultivation in the high, middle and lower elevations of the Niligiris and other similar hilly tracts has been released for commercial cultivation by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, recently.
Developed at the Horticultural Research Station of TNAU at Vijayanagaram in Ooty, the new French bean yields attractive light green pods, which are highly fleshy and totally string less. It is a pure line selection from the accession PV-15 among the 33-germplasm types maintained at the Horticultural Research Station. The new variety performed well in all the field trials and it has been released as French beans "Ooty (FB-2)". The pods have excellent cooking quality and it has been found to have good market preference.
The plants of Ooty (FB-2) have a vigorous growth habit, and grow to a height of 60 cm. Normally, the first white coloured flowers are borne in clusters of 4-5 at 45 th day after sowing. It has a yield potential of 14.30 tonnes per hectare in a duration of 90 days.
It has recorded a 34.02 per cent higher yield than Arka Komal, a popular variety ruling in the area, and 49.95 per cent more than the local types, according to the scientists who developed this variety.
The fresh green pods can be harvested from the 70 th day after sowing, and the harvest lasts until 90 days of sowing.
For seed purpose, the pods are allowed to mature until 110 days. The variety is moderately resistant to major diseases like leaf spot, anthracnose and angular leaf spot. It is also moderately resistant to pests like pod borer and aphids.
The pods contain high protein (22.38 per cent), crude fat (2 per cent), calcium (1.22 per cent) and magnesium (0.34 per cent), which help to increase the nutritional security of the people.
The variety can be grown in the all the three seasons (main, autumn and irrigated) in the Nilgiris. It can also be raised in the plains in the cool season under irrigated conditions. The variety thrives best in well-drained loamy soils and cool climate.
The seeds are sown in fields thrown into ridges and furrows at an espacement of 30 cm between rows and 15 cm within the rows.
About 90 kg of seeds will be required to cover a hectare.
The variety does well under sound nutrient management. Application of liberal quantities of organic manure and amendments enriched with biofertilizers will prove to be rewarding. Regular irrigation schedule should be adopted to get good harvests from the variety.
Addition of micronutrients will improve the crop yield. Phyto-sanitation by regular weeding and earthing up will also help in bringing up a robust and healthy crop with bountiful returns, according to the scientists.
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