Dolichos lablab L.: Possibilities for Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climates

Abstract

Research was conducted over three seasons (1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99) to determine the productive potential of green pods in first-year plants, studying two different production cycles, using a local accession of the botanic variety albiflorus D.C. of Dolichos lablab L. (Egyptian Bean). In the first experiment (1996/97), cropping was done in pots with peat substrate in a polyethylene greenhouse, the transplanting dates were 17th September (F1) and 21st January (F2). In the other two experiments cropping was done in a sandy loam soil in glasshouses; in the second experiment (1997/98) the transplanting dates were 20th October (F1) and 2nd January (F2) while in the third experiment (1998/1999) the transplanting dates were 17th September (F1) and 11th January (F2). Plants were placed in rows 1 m apart with 0.5 m between them. Plants were staked and tied. The immature pods were harvested twice a week. The accession used in these experiments adapted well to protected cultivation. The green pod yields obtained (95200 kg ha-1) are much higher than those reported for beans under identical growing conditions in the field (28000 kg ha-1). Transplanting in September allows for high-yield, green pod harvesting year-round, even in autumn and winter. Continued experiments are necessary to determine the performance of this plant in subsequent years.