Jul 13, 2009

Mungbean Farming


Do you know why sotanghon is more expensive than bihon? This is because sotanghon is made from mung beans, while bihon is made of rice. Mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilzeck), popularly known in the Philippines as mungo or mung bean in other countries and mainly used as human food. It is one of the cheapest sources of plant protein which contains protein ranging from 22-27%. It is also a good source of minerals such as calcium and sodium. Dried mung bean seeds are high in vitamins A & B while the sprouted mung bean are rich in vitamins B and C.

Uses

* It is a raw material in th major processes namely: mung beans sprout production; sotanghon manufacturing; hopia processing; dishes like soups, porridge, snacks, bread, noodles and ice cream;
* Mung beans starch is extensively used for starch noodles;
* Mung beans protein is used to fortify cereal flour
* Crop residues are used for fodder
* It is also grown for hay, green manure or cover crop

Climatic Requirement

Mung beans is drought-tolerant and requires a warm climate during its growing period. The temperature and humidity prevailing in the region is suited for optimum yields.

Recommended Varieties

* BPI Mg 9
* Pag-asa 7
* NSIC Mg 8
* NSIC Mg 12
* NSIC Mg 13
* Other all-season varieties

Crop Establishment

Planting

* Just after harvesting rice:

o Flush irrigate the area and drain excess water

* Broadcast evenly the mungo seeds at the rate of:

o 30 kgs seeds/ha (90-95% germination)
o 35 kgs seeds/ha (80-85% germination)
o 37-40 seeds/ha (75-80% germination)

* If rice stubbles is 10-15 cm high, lightly puddle with mini tractor-drawn the area to help seeds in the stubbles get in contact with the soil

Seed Inoculation

* Inoculate the seeds prior to broadcasting with rhizobium inoculant at the rate of 5 kgs/pack of inoculant.
* To inoculate the seeds; a) sprinkle/moisten the seeds with water (10 kgs:1 glass of water).
* Pour the inoculants and mix evenly until seeds are well-coated.
* Broadcast the inoculated seeds just after mixing.

Nutrient Management

* To ensure high yield and attain 3 pod priming frequency, spray the plants with foliar fertilizer (high in potassium and phosphorous content) at 25-30 DAP and after 1st and 2nd priming.
* Foliar fertilizer spraying can be combined/mixed with compatible insecticides.

Pest Management

* 3-5 days after seed emergence, spray the plants with appropriate insecticides to control bean fly (wilting and presence of pin-holes in leaves at seedling stage are common symptoms)
* If high population of weeds (particularly grass) are outgrowing the plants, spray selective post-emergence herbicide like ONECIDE.
* Control leaf folder and pod borer by spraying contact insecticide at vegetative stage (10-15 days after planting (DAP), flowering stage (20-30 DAP) and every after pod priming.
* Control powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot disease with appropriate fungicides starting flowering stage.
* Rogue/uproot and burn mosaic-infected plants to avoid spread of virus diseases.

Harvest Management

* Handpicking (or priming) mature (black) pods in the early morning or late afternoon to minimize shattering
* Priming is done up to five times depending on the maturity of the pods. In some part of Pampanga, the farmers cut the plants at one time when most of the pods have matured. Attain three primings and harvest at 1-week interval

Sun-drying & Threshing

* Freshly harvested pods of mung beans are sun dried on concrete pavement or on the ground with mat; pods are threshed by beating or trampling on dried pods. Manual threshing can be done but the use of mechanical rice-thresher can speed- up the operation and reduce expenses

Cleaning

* It is done by sieving or winnowing the threshed pods.

Storage

* Use of nylon or jute sacks, cans (covered air-tight) and empty cement sacks and stored inside the house or storehouse.
* Cool overnight the seeds before keeping in a storage cans.
* Mix the seeds with dried neem tree seeds/leaves, hot pepper (siling labuyo), naphthalene balls, etc.

Marketing

* Mung beans harvested in the Ilocos region are sold in Urdaneta, Villasis and nearby twons in Pangasinan

Product Utilization

Mung beans is prepared by cooking or milling. IT is eaten whole or split. The seeds or flour may enter a variety of dishes such as sopus, porridge, snacks, bread, noodles and ice cream. It is a raw material use din the processing of noodles locally known as "sotanghon"

References:

Below is a very good THAI FOOD Stir Fried Mung Beans recipe. Try it its great.


Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Unit II/Cagayan Valley Integrated Agricultural Center, Ilagan, Isabela

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