French Beans Cultivation in India – Step By Step Guidelines
French Beans cultivation belongs to the Leguminosae family, which believed to have originated in America through various theories. The remains of the French bean found in excavations of ancient Mexican and Guatemalan cities dating back to about 7000 years ago. It is an unripe fruit and protective pod of various common bean varieties. Harvest it before the seeds mature inside and eat as part of your diet.
French beans farming requires the most important equipment, which plays a major role in agro-processing. Equipment, harvesters, and tractors are the main in cultivating French beans; Hence, we recommend the Farmtrac 60 Powermaxx tractor.
We considered it to be a rich source of vitamins and protein. Hence it recommended to us. It provides our body with carotenoids like beta-carotene, neoxanthin, lutein and violaxanthin. It has an antioxidant capacity, helps our body get rid of harmful radicals, and benefits our cardiovascular system.
Area, Production, and Productivity for Beans Cultivation
French Beans one of the most cultivated crops in India due to their high protein and various other benefits. In 2004, at the global level, the total production of dry beans was about 19,393 million metric tons in an area of 26.6 million hectares.
India is also responsible for the large production of french beans, accounting for 37.52% of total production. The productivity is low in India due to unfavourable conditions, and many countries like Lebanon, Africa, Iran, Indonesia, China, Japan etc., are ahead of India.
Cultivation Requirements
Climate and Seasons
Farmers mainly grow it in temperate and tropical regions of India and show high productivity around 21°C, and optimum temperature around 16 to 24°C is preferable for its high yield. Growing French beans at very low or high temperatures not recommended as this can result in reduced productivity due to the drop of buds and flowers.
It requires 50 – 150 cm of annual rainfall for a good crop. It is susceptible to frost and should harvested before the onset of frost. Too much rain can cause waterlogging, which leads to flower drops and various diseases to the plant. In India, farmers cultivate it in the hills from February to March and in the plains from October to November.
Soils
It is flexible in soil, and farmers can grow it in a wide range of soils, from light sand to heavy clay. Although it can grown in various soils, it results in loamy soils with good drainage. It requires optimum pH of 5.2 to 5.8 for better growth and is also sensitive to high salinity. Seed germination requires that the soil is sufficiently moist. Germination requires about 15 °C soil temperature and takes about 12 days at 18 °C and about 7 days for germination at 25 °C.
Crop Management
Field Preparation
The soil in hills well dug up and mixed with Farmyard Compost (FYM), after which suitable sized beds formed. In plains, the soil needs to be ploughed twice, after which ridges and grooves are made. For fine ploughing, it is very important to plough the fields 2 or 3 times well. During the last tillage, planting is done to make the soil friable for sowing.
Propagation in crop management
French bean seeds that are ripe and dried are used for propagation. Taking care of seeds is important for efficient germination and good production.
Sowing and Nursery for Beans Cultivation
Farmers can sow French bean seeds twice a year in two different seasons. Sowing time also varies on the type of field. In plains, they can be sown in January-February and also in July-September. In hilly areas, farmers can sow French beans between March and June. It is better to sow them in warm soil.
It recommended not to grow French beans in the same soil as last year for better productivity. You can also make a groove or drill in the soil. You have to place it about 5 cm deep or about 10 cm apart from each other. There are different types of French beans that require different cultivation methods.
Transplanting
In the case of climbing French beans, farmers can grow them by placing stakes on any support. Traditionally, they grow in double rows of bamboo canes with 45 cm of space between rows. Bamboo canes are placed at a distance of 15 cm from each other and tied to a horizontal cane at the top. Following the bamboo structure, plant a bean at the base of each cane and tie its shoots loosely to grow upwards efficiently.
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