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''Vigna aconitifolia'' is a drought-resistant legume, commonly grown in arid and semi-arid regions of India. It is commonly called mat bean, moth bean, matki or dew bean. The pods, sprouts and protein-rich seeds of this crop are commonly consumed in India. Moth bean can be grown on many soil types, and can also act as a pasture legume. Moth bean is a creeping annual herbaceous plant which grows to approximately 40 cm high. Yellow flowers on its hairy and densely packed branches develop into yellow-brown pods, 2 to 3 inches in lengthBrink, M. & Jansen, P.C.M., 2006. Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.) Maréchal. nternetRecord from PROTA4U. Brink, M. & Belay, G. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. <>. Accessed 15 November 2013. The seeds of these pods contain approximately 22–24% protein.Stevens, J. (1994). Bean, Moth —Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.) Marechal (HS554). Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Retrieved October 31, 2013 fro

/ref> Due to its drought-resistant qualities, its ability to combat
soil erosion Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the upper layer of soil. It is a form of soil degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, air (wind), plants, and ...
and its high protein content, moth bean has been identified as possibly a more significant food source in the future.Adsule, R. N. (1996). Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.) Marechal). In Food and Feed from Legumes and Oilseeds (pp. 203-205). Springer US It has been suggested that its suitability as a grain legume in semi-arid Africa should be further investigated.


Description

Belonging to the family Fabaceae (subfamily Papilionaceae), the moth bean is an herbaceous creeping annual that creates a low-lying soil cover when fully grown.Sathe, S. K., & Venkatachalam, M. (2007). Fractionation and biochemical characterization of moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia) proteins. LWT-Food Science and Technology, 40(4), 600-610. Its stem can grow up to 40 cm in height, with its hairy and dense-packed branches reaching a span of up to 150 cm. Yellow flowers develop into a brown pod 2.5 to 5 cm in length, which holds 4 to 9 seeds inside. The rectangular seeds exist in a variety of colours including yellow-brown, whitish-green, and mottled with black.


History and geography

Moth bean is native to India, grown for food production and as a forage and cover crop. It is predominately grown in India, although it has been cultivated in the United States, Australia, Thailand and other parts of Asia. 1.5 million hectares of land is used in India for moth bean production, producing approximately 0.4 million t/ha of seeds. While its presence in Sudan, Somalia and other tropical countries of Africa has been noted, it has not been a crop of great importance to this region. The potential of increased production in this region in the future has been suggested.


Growing conditions

Moth bean, a short-day crop, is one of the most drought-resistant pulses in India. Grown at altitudes up to 1300 m above sea level, it has a wide pH range (3.5–10) and can tolerate slight salinity. While dry sandy soil is most suitable for production, moth bean can tolerate a variety of soil types. The low-lying soil cover the crop creates helps prevent
soil erosion Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the upper layer of soil. It is a form of soil degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, air (wind), plants, and ...
by preventing moisture loss. Optimum production of moth bean occurs between 24–32 °C, but has been shown to tolerate up to 45 °C during the day. Growth is optimal at a constant temperature. The moth bean is one of the most drought-resistant pulses in India, requiring little irrigation for production.Khokhar, S., & Chauhan, B. M. (1986). Antinutritional factors in moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia): varietal differences and effects of methods of domestic processing and cooking. Journal of Food Science, 51(3), 591–594. While optimal annual rainfall for production is 500–750 mm, it is able to grow with 200–300 mm annually, and some yield has been noted at rainfall levels as low as 50–60 mm per year. Propagation of moth bean is done by seed, preferably on a prepared seedbed, at an optimal temperature of 25–27 °C. Fertilizer applications to moth bean are uncommon in India.


Other farming issues

Moth bean is grown for both human consumption and as a forage crop. Currently in India, moth bean is grown on its own or intercropped with other cereals, such as pearl millet. It is also grown in rotation with cotton as a forage crop. When grown as a forage crop, it is planted 7–34 kg/ha, and 10–20 kg/ha when grown as the only crop. Row planting should be done 30–90 cm apart, with seeds sown 2.5–4 cm deep. It takes 75–90 days for moth bean to mature, and is frequently planted at the end of the rainy season. A drawback to this crop is its difficulty to harvest. Mowers cannot be used due to the shape and density of the moth bean's branches, so the crop is typically cut with a sickle. It is threshed and winnowed after being dried for approximately one week. Hay yields from this crop are 7.5-10 t/ha, while forage matter yields range from 37-50 t/ha. Seed yields are currently low, ranging from 70–270 kg/ha. However, research shows that this crop has the potential to increase in yield. Experimental seed yields of up to 2600 kg/ha have been recorded in the US and Australia.


Major pests and diseases

Moth bean is affected by mungbean yellow mosaic virus, for which silverleaf whitefly is the vector. Root rot and seedling blight from '' Macrophomina phaseolina'' also causes damage, as well as some
Striga ''Striga'', commonly known as witchweed, is a genus of parasitic plants that occur naturally in parts of Africa, Asia, and Australia. It is currently classified in the family Orobanchaceae, although older classifications place it in the Scrophul ...
species and the
nematode The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant- parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhabiting a bro ...
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Meloidogyne incognita ''Meloidogyne incognita'' (root-knot nematode - RKN), also known as the "southern root-nematode" or "cotton root-knot nematode" is a plant-parasitic roundworm in the family Heteroderidae. This nematode is one of the four most common species wor ...
''. There are some resistant cultivars to these pests and diseases.


Genetic stock

Little breeding work has been completed on the moth bean, but researchers have found that there is substantial genetic variation between moth bean germplasms.Yogeesh, L. N., Viswanatha, K. P., Ravi, B. A., & Gangaprasad, S. (2012). Genetic variability studies in moth bean germplasm for seed yield and its attributing characters. Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 3(1), 671-675. The National Bureau of Plant Genetic resources in New Delhi, India, houses more than 1000 accessions. Some improved cultivars such as ' CZM-2, CZM-3, ‘RMO-40’ and ‘RMO-225’are available in India.


Human consumption

Whole or split moth bean seeds can be cooked or fried. In India, particularly in the state of
Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
, moth beans are sprouted before cooking and used for making a spicy stew called matki '' usal''. Matki usal forms the base of the Indian street food dish called '' misal pav''.Nimkar, P. M., Mandwe, D. S., & Dudhe, R. M. (2005). Physical properties of moth gram. Biosystems Engineering, 91(2), 183-189. "Fried dal of the bean is used for making a savory dry snack, in India called ''dalmoth''. The moth bean pods can be boiled and eaten. The flour of the bean is used for making another savoury snack called ''
bhujia Bikaneri bhujia, often simply called ''bhujia'', is a popular crispy snack prepared by using moth bean flour and gram flour and spices, originating from Bikaner, a city in the western state of Rajasthan in India. It is light yellow in colour ...
''."


Animal consumption

Moth bean is also consumed as a forage crop by animals.Nene,Y L, Asian Agri-History Vol. 10, No. 3, 2006 (179–202)
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Nutritional information

100g of raw, uncooked moth bean seeds contain 343 calories, 23 g of protein, 62 g of carbohydrate and 1.6 g of fat.U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2013. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page, As is the case with other legumes, this pulse does contain antinutritional factors that limit available protein. However, research has shown that the Moth bean contains considerably less of these factors compared with other legume grains, making it a more beneficial choice for consumption. Soaking and cooking moth beans before consumption helps to break down antinutritional factors and makes the protein more digestible.


Constraints to wider adaptation

While its drought tolerance and high protein content could make moth bean a potential crop choice for semi-arid Africa, a lack of management knowledge and the difficulty of harvest due to its density and creeping nature could make its spread to other parts of the world difficult.


See also

*
Bean A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes thr ...


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q511249 Edible legumes aconitifolia Nitrogen-fixing crops