Growing Food: A Guide to Food Production

•

problems. If beehives are placed in the lupin fields, pollination is usually greatly

improved. Production of green matter, for green manure or animal food, is

• 
  


• 
  


• 
  

  especially L. mutabilis the Pearl Lupin (Tarwi). Even if the pods do not lose
  their seed from shattering, they tend to ripen over a long period so that the lower

  
  

mechanised harvesting, but for subsistence farmers it may be an advantage as

•

•

being grown in certain areas, especially humid ones.

Tepary Bean

Phaseolus acutifolius var. acutifolius (Syn. Phaseolus acutifolius var. latifolius)

The Tepary Bean occurs wild in Arizona and northwestern Mexico, where it was
cultivated by the Aztecs 5000 years ago. It is still grown to some extent in these
areas, and also in some hot, dry parts of Africa.
It can be a useful crop if a rapid food supply is needed in areas with low rainfall
and high temperatures, where the tepary bean can be grown as a catch crop. It will
often produce some yield where other legumes would fail, and provides food for
both humans and animals.
The plant is an annual, with pointed trifoliate leaves. Wild types have vines up to
10m long to enable the plant to climb desert shrubs. Cultivated types or mainly bush
type (or semi-viny) about 30 cm tall. Several named varieties are available.
Dried beans contain approximately 9.5% water, 22–25% protein, 1–1.4% fat,
57–66% carbohydrate, 3.4–4.5% fibre and 4.2% ash.
The beans are almost round or oblong, about 8 × 6 mm, average weight 0.15 g,
not glossy, white, yellow, brown, or deep violet, either entirely coloured or flecked.
The fresh seeds absorb water easily, though the testa hardens during storage.

of seed is difficult for seed producers. The rate of cross-pollination is about

282 TONY WINCH

Yield of grain is often rather low, often due to poor seed set and other fertility

however often good.

Market prices are often much lower for lupins than for cereals or other

legumes.

pods are mature while the upper pods are still green. This can be a problem for

Lupinosis—see page 280, under “Diseases”.

Shattering, or “dehiscence”, can be a problem with indeterminate varieties,

the supply of food continues for a long time.

–

Cross-pollination occurs with many species, so that maintenance of pure strains

20 25% for L. luteus Pearl Lupin and 10% for L. albus White (Egyptian) Lupin.

Adaptation of many varieties is not very wide; they can be very specific in their

soil and temperature requirements.

Diseases are sometimes a serious problem; this fact may exclude lupins from

Pavi, Pawi, Rice Haricot Bean, Teparies, Texan/Texas Bean (North America)
Tepary Bohne (Germany); Escomite (Spanish); Dinawa (Africa—also used for
Cowpeas); Frijol Trigo (Chile); Garbancillo Bolando (Mexico); Haricot Riz (Algeria);
Haricot Sudan (Senegal), Yori Mui