Green gram bean, (Mung bean)
Vigna radiata
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A herb. It is an upright hairy bean plant which can be 1 m tall. It has many branches. The leaves have 3 leaflets and are dark green. The leaves are on long leaf stalks. There are oval stipules at the base of the leaf. Flowers are pale yellow and small. They occur in bunches of 10-20 on the ends of long hairy flower stalks. Pods are black and straight. They do not have a beak. Pods contain 10-20 seeds which are usually green or golden yellow. They are smaller than black gram. The beans can be black. They have a flat white hilum. There are 2,000 varieties.
They contain 19-25 % protein and are high in lysine. There are about 150 Vigna species. They are mostly in the tropics.
Where it is found
A tropical and subtropical plant. The plant will grow from sea level up to probably 1,600 m in the tropics. It is drought resistant but can't stand water-logging. Plants are damaged by frost. They cannot stand salinity. Rainfall at flowering is detrimental. It requires a deep soil. Both short day and long day kinds occur. It can grow where annual temperatures are from 8°C to 28°C. It can also grow at high temperatures of 30-36°C. It can tolerate a pH from 4.3-8.1. In Nepal it grows up to 1000 m altitude. It suits a drier climate. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 10-11. In Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Afghanistan, Africa, Angola, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central America, Central Asia, Chile, China, Congo, Cuba, East Africa, East Timor, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Guam, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guyana, Himalayas, India, Indonesia, Indochina, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Marianas, Mauritius, Mexico, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Oman, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, SE Asia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sikkim, Somalia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Uganda, USA, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, West Timor, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
Seeds are eaten ripe. They are eaten raw or roasted. They are added to soups and stews. They are also fermented. Young pods can be eaten. Young leaves can be eaten. The seeds can be germinated for sprouts. These are used in salads and stir-fried dishes. The seeds are ground and also used for starch to make noodles.
It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. Not widely grown in Papua New Guinea.
Edible parts
Root, seeds, pods, leaves, vegetable
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed. In some areas these are broadcast while for small plots often 2-3 seeds are sown in holes 50-60 cm apart. Seeding rates of 6 to 22 kg per ha are used in different locations. It normally requires phosphorus fertiliser for adequate growth. Seeds germinate in 3-5 days.
Green pods are ready after about 2 months and ripe pods may take another 1-2 months. For ripe beans the whole plant is harvested and dried before threshing. Yields of 450-560 kg/ha of seeds are common.
Its other names
Local names
Bechin, Borao, Cherupayaru, Dau-tam, Dau-xanh, Fore-mungu, Hesaru, Imposo, Kakhoma, Look dow, Mag, Mbweso, Ming bean, Moog, Mphodza, Mposo, Mudga, Mug, Mun, Mun-eta, Mung, Namurovo, Ndengu, Pasi-payaru, Passara, Passippayaru, Patchapesalu, Pe-di, Pe-di-sein, Pe-di-wa, Pe-nauk, Putcha-payaru, Sbaiha, Suna, To-pi-si, Uthulu
Synonyms
Adzukia radiata (L.) Ohwi.; Phaseolus abyssinicus Savi; Phaseolus aureus Roxb.; Phaseolus hirtus Retz.; Phaseolus radiatus L. ; Phaseolus radiatus L. var. aurea (Roxb.) Phaseolus radiatus L. var. typicus Prain; Rudua aurea (Roxb.) Maek.; Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek var. sublobata (Roxb.) Verdc.; Vigna aureus (Roxb.) Hepper;