Haricot beans are grown either for their green pods, when they are commonly
known as French beans, or for their dried grain, when they are commonly known as
Haricot beans, or Haricots.
Several hundred varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris are available, exhibiting a wide
range of different plant types, which vary from the tall climbing or “pole” types with
twining stems which may grow up to 5 m long, to the dwarf or bush types no more
than 30 or 40 cm tall.
They are the most important grain legume, or “pulse”, in Latin America and
some parts of Africa, where they provide a valuable, protein rich supplement to
carbohydrate staple food crops such as cassava, plantains and rice.
Haricots, as they are often known, are grown widely throughout the world, but
are of relatively minor importance in India and most of tropical Asia where other
legumes, which are indigenous to these areas, are more popular.
The annual global production is about 10 million MT, but is difficult to estimate
since FAO includes haricots with many other “dry edible beans” such as mung bean,
lima bean, etc.
In addition to Phaseolus vulgaris there are three important species of the genus
Phaseolus:
P. lunatus (Syn. P. limensis, P. inamoenus)—Lima Bean (large, usually white
seed), Sieva Bean (small, coloured seed) and Butter or Madagascar Bean (2B)
P. aureus (Syn. Vigna radiata)—Mung Bean, (Green or Golden Gram) (2B)
P. mungo (Vigna mungo)—Black Gram, Mash, Urd or Woolly Pyrol
There are also a few other less important but useful and productive Phaseolus
species, such as P. acutifolius var. latifolius—Tepary Bean (2G) and P. coccineus
(P. multiflorus)—(Scarlet) Runner Bean
Phaseolus aconitifolius, but is now generally classified as Vigna aconitifolas.
The Adzuki Bean was formerly classified as Phaseolus angularis (or Dolichos
angularis) but is now generally classified as Vigna angularis.
Plant breeders have successfully produced some hybrids between some of these
species, such as P. vulgaris XP. coccineus, but so far none have proved to be very
useful.
PLANTING
Propagation: by seed. Haricots are almost 100% self-pollinated.
Soil: haricots grow in most soil types. Optimum pH is 6.0–6.8, minimum 5.2,
maximum 7.0.—“intermediate tolerance” to acidity. Sensitive to high concentrations
of manganese, aluminium and boron. Rainfed crops need about 60–100 cm of
topsoil to produce strong, healthy plants.
Intercropping: very common, for good reasons, with crops such as maize, sweet
potatoes, coffee, cotton, etc. Earliest food growers appreciated the value of a
haricot/cereal partnership.
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168 TONY WINCH
The Moth Bean, also called Mat bean or Turkish gram, was formerly classified as