ISHS Acta Horticulturae 318: II International Symposium on Specialty and Exotic Vegetable Crops
SHELLED LIMA BEAN AS A VALUE-ADDED FRESH-MARKET SPECIALTY VEGETABLE PHASEOLUS LUNATUS L. |
| Authors: | Reuben B. Beverly, Allen W. Byous |
| Keywords: | temperature, quality |
| Abstract:
Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) is well adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of the southern Piedmont. It has low requirements for fertility and irrigation, and has few serious disease and insect pests. The greatest constraint to commercial production is the labor intensity of hand harvest, but mechanical harvesters facilitate small-scale production. Lima bean has traditionally been a popular fresh vegetable in the southeastern US, but the time required in hand-shelling now limits its use. Therefore, shelling provides added value to consumers and can expand consumption while increasing income for small-scale producers. This research was undertaken to determine the response of lima bean cultivars to nitrogen application as well as planting dates and harvest dates throughout the warm season. Responses of interest include total in-pod yields, shelled seed yields, and seed quality. 'Dixie Butterpea White', 'Eastland', 'Jackson Wonder' and 'Thorogreen' were grown in 1989, 1990 and 1991. Sowing dates were in late April, late May and late June or early July; three to four harvest dates per planting ranged from 71 to 90 days after sowing. Sidedress application of 25 kg/ha nitrogen as ammonium nitrate in addition to 58 kg/ha N preplant did not increase yields compared to plots which received only preplant fertilization. Across all years, average in-pod and seed yields (kg/ha) were as follows: 'Dixie Butterpea White', 3427 and 1148; 'Eastland', 3053 and 727; 'Jackson Wonder', 4019 and 1464; 'Thorogreen', 1766 and 371. Yields varied between years and between planting dates within years, but no consistent effect of planting date or harvest date appeared. Cultivars performed well at any planting date from late April to early July, although performance varied due to weather and disease pressure. Completing harvest by early to mid-September appears advantageous in the southern Piedmont. In addition to productivity, cultivars vary greatly in seed color, size and shape, so consumer preferences must be considered in cultivar selection. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
