MOTH BEAN or DEW BEAN

Botanical name: Phaseolus aconitifolius (Jacq.) Marechal

Family: Fabaceae (Leguminoceae)
Mothbean is an important kharif pulse crop of the arid and semi-arid regions. Besides use
of mature dry seeds as dal, popular Indian preparations like kheech, papad, dalmoth and bhujia
are also prepared from its seeds. The seeds are rich in protein (23-25%). The green pods are
relished as vegetable. It is also grown for fodder (green and dry) and green manuring purposes.
The spreading habit makes it a soil conserving crop. It is the most drought tolerant crop among
the pulses and enriches the soil by its biological N fixation.
Origin
It is considered to be native of India owing to wide spread wild and cultivated forms.
Mothbean grows wild in India, Pakistan and Myanmar and from the Himalayas in the north to
Sri Lanka in the south.
Geographic distribution
India is the major producer of mothbean in the world. It is widely grown in the Indian
subcontinent and the Far East, particularly Thailand. It has also reached China, Africa and
southern USA, where it is confined mainly to the drier areas. In India, Rajasthan, Maharashtra
and Gujarat are the major mothbean producing states (Table 1).

Table 1. Area, production and productivity of mothbean in different states of India (2004-05)

Climate
Mothbean needs warm weather; hence the crop is grown during monsoon season. The
cultivation is spread in plains between 30 oN to 30oS. It is a drought tolerant crop and can be
grown in areas with rainfall of 200-500 mm. High rainfall is detrimental to its cultivation.

Soil and its preparation

The crop grows well in sandy loams with neutral pH. It can thrive in sand dunes also. It is
cultivated in dry areas and has the ability to grow where no other crop can be grown. Saline and
alkaline soils are not suitable for mothbean production.
Mothbean requires a minimum preparation of land. It is often sown in sandy soils without land
preparation. In other soils, field is prepared by one or two cross harrowings followed by
planking.
To control the white grub, 25 kg of phorate 10 G should be applied in the furrows, and
where the termite problem is serious, apply 5% aldrin dust @ 25 kg/ha at the time of soil
preparation.
Seeds and Sowing
Seed rate and spacings
The seed rate required for sole mothbean for grain purpose varies from 10-12 kg/ha in
spreading and semi-spreading varieties. In erect and short duration cultivars (RMO-40) and
under delayed sowing, higher seed rate (15 kg/ha) is required. For inter and mixed cropping
(depending on row proportion of component crops), 4-5 kg seed/ha is used. Fodder crop requires
double the seed rate of sole grain crop. The crop is sown in rows 45 cm apart with an intra-row
spacing of 10 cm. Erect types are grown in 30 cm rows.
Before sowing, the seed should be treated with captan or thiram @ 2.5 g/kg of seed. Seed
should also be treated with Rhizobium culture.
Time of sowing
In Rajasthan, sowing is done with the onset of monsoon, and usually sown in the month
of July. If rains are not sufficient, the sowing can be done in August also. The yield is reduced
with delayed sowing beyond July. Under assured irrigation, spring (February-March) season
cultivation can also be done.
Sowing is done behind the plough or seed drill at 3-5 cm depth.
Varieties
The important varieties of mothbean and their characteristics are given below

Type 1 A selection from Meerut local, released in

1967. Plants are spreading type. Maturing
in 120 days has medium bold (test weight
19 g) shining brown seeds and yields 2-4
q/ha. Suitable for Haryana
Baleshwar-12 Plants are tall (40-50 cm), requiring 110-
115 days to maturity and susceptible to
yellow mosaic virus (YMV). The seeds
are medium in size and are brown and
yields 5 q/ha seed.
Jadia A local selection from Rajasthan released
in 1980. It matures in 90 days with 5-8
q/ha seed yield. The seeds with 25-29 g
test weight are dark brown in colour.
Suitable for Rajasthan.
Jwala Identified in 1983, suitable for Rajasthan;
Maturing in 90 days has resistance to
yellow mosaic virus (YMV). Grains are
light brown with a test weight of 30 g.
Average yield is 7 q/ha.
IPCMO-0880 A selection from Jhunjhunu local,
released in 1989 takes 90-100 days to
maturity. It is recommended for Rajasthan
and Gujarat has a yield of 5 q/ha.
IPCMO-912 A selection from Sikar local, released in
1994 for Rajasthan. Maturing in 75-80
days has tolerance to YMV and bacterial
blight
Latest varieties
Prabha, Maru Varedhan and CZM-45; RMO-435 (Maru Bahar).
Irrigation
It is rainfed crop of kharif and is usually not irrigated. However, drought at reproductive
stage deters farmers from realizing higher yields. In mothbean grown during spring and summer
seasons, irrigations are given at two weeks interval from sowing onwards. Flowering stage of the
crop is the critical stage for irrigation.
Manures and Fertilizers
Mothbean soils are generally poor in organic matter, fertility and water holding capacity.
An addition of 10-15 t/ha FYM is recommended to improve the organic matter and water
holding capacity of soil. Though, it fixes 30-60 kg N/ha, 15 kg N/ha is applied at sowing to meet
initial N demands. Application of potassium is rare, but 30-50 kg P 2O5/ha is needed for better
root growth, nodulation and N fixation. In intensive cropping systems, 20 kg S/ha fertilization is
required for better yields.
Uncontrolled weeds may reduce mothbean productivity by 25-50%. The initial 4 weeks
from sowing is critical period of crop-weed competition. The weed menace is less in
intercropping with pearl millet. The important weeds invading mothbean are Cyperus rotundus,
Cynodon dactylon, Trianthema portulacastrum, Phyllanthus niruri, Commelina and Digeria spp.
One hand weeding at 3-4 weeks after sowing is sufficient to take care of weeds. Use of
fluchloralin @ 1 kg/ha (pre-plant incorporation) is recommended for both sole mothbean and its
intercropping with pearl millet.
Cropping systems
In low rainfall areas, it is grown in sole stands. However, under higher rainfall, it is
intercropped with pearl millet and clusterbean. Mothbean is also a component of several crop
rotations. It is rotated with mustard, gram, linseed and barley under rainfed conditions. Under
irrigated conditions, the important rotations include:
Mothbean-potato-wheat mothbean-toria-potato mothbean-radish-wheat mothbean-toria-wheat-
greengram.
Harvesting and Threshing
The crop matures in about 3 months. The main characteristic of ripening of mothbean is
that the pods become yellow black. Delayed harvesting results in shattering of pods. The crop
may be harvested with sickles and then sun-dried for 3-5 days. Seeds are separated by hand
beating or bullock/tractor trampling. Threshers are also available for th reshing and winnowing
simultaneously.
Yield
A good crop may yields about 0.5-0.8 tonnes grain and 1.0-1.5 tonnes straw/ha.