Purple-podded French bean with high antioxidant content

B. K. Singh, K. A. Pathak, Y. Ramakrishna, V. K. Verma and B. C. Deka

ICAR News: A Science and Technology Newsletter 17 (3): 9, 2011
E-mail: bksinghkushinagar@yahoo.co.in

A unique French bean line (MZFB 44, IC-0595238) having attractive and colourful purple pods, might be mutant, has been collected from Sherkhan, Kolasib, Mizoram. Unlike green-podded genotypes, the line has dark purple flowers, purple pedicels and petioles, and also purplish leaf venation. The pods are green for first 6-8 days, and then turn completely purple in the next 8-10 days. Immature, tender and fresh pods are rich in anthocyanin content (7.08 mg/ 100 g fresh weight); 16 times higher than the normal green-podded genotypes. This pole-type purple-podded line flowers at 35-40 days after sowing (DAS) and pods are ready for first harvest at around 60-65 DAS with a crop duration of 95-105 days. On an average, the weight and the length of each tender pod are 16.5 g and 17.1 cm, respectively; containing approximately 8.1 seeds. Seeds are kidney-shaped, light brown and 100 seeds weigh approximately 25.0 g. The line bears 10-12 pods/ plant and yields 170-185 g fresh pods/ plant in a total of 6-7 pickings during the rainy season (April-July). On an average, 5-6 seeds are sown in each hill at a spacing of 60 cm × 75 cm during 2^nd week of April, and vine is supported on bamboo-sticks or dried branches. The yield potential (tender pods) of MZFB 44 is 13.5-15.0 tonnes/ ha. Other than being high yield potential and health benefits, the line has ability to penetrate Metro markets, especially hotels, for decorating salad and food items.

                               Purple-podded French bean line (MZFB 44, IC-0595238)