In this article I have explained How to Grow French Beans from Seed to Harvest, which helps every farmer and home gardener to gain the knowledge on
- Available verities of French Beans.
- Seed germination time.
- Suitable soil and weather conditions.
- Field preparation and planting distance.
- Fertilizer and Water Management.
- Required seed per acre and expected yield per acre.
French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are belonging to the bean’s family. French beans are native to South America.
Uses:
- Its tender fruits are used as a vegetable
- The seeds extracted from the dried vegetables are used as cereals and tempering seeds .
Weather:
This crop is suitable for cultivation in cold climates.
Can not tolerate high frost and high temperature. Plant height good at 15°-21° cm.
Soils:
Sandy red soils, alluvial soils, heavy soils with good drainage are suitable for cultivation. Soils with a Soil PH levels 5.5–6.0 are suitable.
Varieties:
1 KGs of seeds Contains approximately 4000 to 4500 seeds
Seed Germination time is 4 to 5 Days
French beans have Climber varieties, bush varieties, and intermediate varieties.
Climber varieties:
- T.K.D. -1: Harvesting period : 90-100 days, Yield : 2.0-2.4 tons/acre.
- L-1 Moringa Bean: Suitable for hilly areas. Vegetable yield : 2.8t/a; Seed yield : 1.2t/a.
Bush Varieties: Farmers are mostly cultivating bush varieties.
Contender: Flowers are pink in color and the flowering will start in 50-55 days.
Fruit length: 14-10 cm and the seeds are light brown in color.
Arabadi (Vegetable) : Yield : 3.2-3.8 t/a.
Arkacomal (IIHR): The harvesting period is 70 days. The quality of the fruit is very good. Yield : 4.0-4, 8 t/a.
Bountiful: The fruit ripens in bunches. Perfect time to grow from September to February. Yield -40-4.8t/a.
Premier: The first harvest period is 50-60 days and the fruit length 11-13 cm long. The seeds are dark coffee in color. Yield : 3.0-3.6 t/a.
Pusaparvati: First harvest in 45-50 days and fruit length 15-18 cm long. Flowers are pink. The seeds are light brown in color and smaller than the container. Yield : 3.2-3.3 t/a.
Pant Anupama: First harvest in 55-65 days and the fruits are green in color. The seeds are medium in size and brown in color. The fruit does not ripen quickly. This variety is suitable for canning and freezing. Yield : 3.6 t/a. Seed yield : 0.4 t/a.
Crop season:
South India : November – December
North India : August
Hilly areas : February – March
Seed Per Acre:
Seed Rate: 20-24 kg of seed is required per acre
Harvest: Harvest the vegetable when they are tender.
Yield: 3.6-6.0 tones/acre
Soil Preparation:
Plow until the soil is good. The distance between rows is 30-35 cm and plants in rows is 25-30 cm.
Water Management:
Water should be given once every 7-10 days.
It does not tolerate high moisture and 50 percent moisture in the soil should be ensured during the flowering and fruiting stage.
Harvesting:
Harvest the vegetable when they are tender.
For the seed collection, let the vegetables dry along with the plant and the seeds should be collected once they are completely dry.
Yield:
Bush varieties: Vegetable yield: 3.6–4.0 t/a
Seed yield: 0.6–0.8 t/a
Climber varieties: Vegetable yield: 4.8–6.0 t/a.
