Family |
Leguminosae |
English Name |
Bee kounch |
Malayalam Name |
Naikkuruna, Naikorana |
Tamil Name |
Poonaikkali |
Kannada Name |
Chinakee beeja, Hasaguni |
Telugu Name |
Dolugunda, Doolagonda |
Hindi Name |
Kavach, Kiwach |
Sanskrit Name |
Atmagupta, Kapikachliu |
Trade Name
|
Atmagupta, Bee kounch, Nasugunni |
Part Used |
Seeds |
In Wild |
NA |
Under Cultivation |
NA |
Temperature |
NA |
Rainfall |
NA |
Farmers |
NA |
Traders |
NA |
Institution |
NA |
Individually |
NA |
State/Region |
NA |
District |
NA |
Nursery Information |
NA |
Yield |
Seed yield per hectare ranges from 2.5 to 3 tonnes per hectare. |
Economic of cultivation |
Cost of cultivation: ? 65,000 per hectare.
Market price: Seeds - ? 90 per kg (as on June 2019). |
Quantitative quality standards |
Root:
1. Foreign matter : Not more than 1.0 %
2. Ash : Not more than 5.0 %
3. Acid-insoluble ash : Not more than 2.0 %
4. Ethanol-soluble extractives : Not less than
4 %
5. Water-soluble extractive : Not less than 5
% |
Description |
Climbers; branchlets densely clothed with rigid hairs. Leaves 3-foliolate; terminal leaflets ovate-rhomboid or elliptic, the lateral ones broadly ovate, adpressed pubescent; petiole to 10 cm long. Flowers c. 3.5 cm long, in axillary tomentose, pendulous racemes; pedicels 2-4 mm long. Calyx-tube 4-7 mm long, pubescent, 4-lobed. Petals dark purplish. Pods 5-7.5 x 1.2-1.5
cm, linear-oblong, somewhat s-shaped, turgid, densely covered with shining irritant bristly hairs; seeds 4-6, to 8 x 7 mm, ovoid, brown, black or white. |
Agro technology/Cultivation practices |
This highly adaptable crop grows in various climatic conditions and soil types. But sandy loam soil with pH 5.5 7.5 is recommended for good growth and yield.
Cultivation
1. Planting stock production: Seeds are used as propagating material. One
hundred seeds weigh 90-110 g.
2. Field planting: Mucuna is raised by direct sowing of seeds. Field is
ploughed well and farmyard manure/compost may be applied during the land
preparation. Seeds are sown in June and seeds germinate within 8-10
days. Support is provided using sticks and pandal for spreading of
vines. Spacing maintained in the field between plants is 1.0 x 0.6 m.
3. Manuring/Fertilizer: At the time of field preparation, farmyard manure
is applied based on plant/soil analysis.
4. Irrigation: Once in two weeks in dry seasons and once in a month during
winter season.
5. Pest and diseases: Collar rot during initial stages of growth is
controlled using 2 kg Pseudomonas fluorescens mixed farmyard manure is
applied to the root region. Hairy caterpillars were found eating leaves
during the pre-flowering stage. It can be controlled by spraying neem
cake solution at 5 gm/lit |
Harversting |
Plants produce mature pods after 140 days of planting. Pods are harvested when they turn brown in colour and start drying. 2-6 pods per inflorescence and 3-7 seeds per pods are observed, and 25-30 bunches can be harvested from a single plant. |
Processing |
Pods are sun dried for 4-7 days. Seeds are separated from the pods and dried further to maintain moisture content of 7-8%. Dried seeds are stored in gunny bags, protected from atmospheric moisture. |
References |
NA |
