5/15/2021 French Beans Cultivation Guide - Farm Guides - Farming and Agriculture Community
French Beans Cultivation Guide
vegetables
discuss #1 July 9, 2020, 12:46pm
This is a wiki post, feel free to edit and improve this
About the Crop
Crop Name
French Bean
Common names
Green Bean
Scientific Name
Phaseolus vulgaris
Name in Indian languages
Faras Bean (Hindi), Sem (Hindi), Tingal Avre Kai (Kannadi), Farabsi (Marathi), Tingal Avro
(Konkani).
Origin, Distribution and Uses
It belongs to the Leguminosae family, it is thought to be originated in America via various theories. It
is found the French bean remains were found in the excavation of ancient Mexican and Guatemalan
cities which dated almost 7000 years ago. It is considered that french beans were cultivated almost
7000 years ago by Indian tribes settled in Mexico and Peru. With all the sought out speculation, it is
found to to be of South American Origin in Peru and Columbia. In Europe, it was bought in notice by
the Spanish and was one of the dominant vegetable in 1569 in homes of Italy. It was spread to Asian
countries like India, China and also Africa by Europeans. It is basically an unripe fruit and protective
pods of various common bean cultivars, which is harvested before the seeds inside are mature and
consumed as part of our food.
It is considered to be a very rich source of protein and vitamins, hence recommended in our diet for
https://discuss.farmnest.com/t/french-beans-cultivation-guide/22193/print 1/8
5/15/2021 French Beans Cultivation Guide - Farm Guides - Farming and Agriculture Community
healthy living. It also provides our body carotenoids like beta – carotene, neoxanthin, lutein and
violaxanthin. It also contains antioxidant capacity and hence helps our body to rid away of harmful
radicals and also benefits our cardio vascular system. They are rich source of dietary fiber which
protects the mucosa in the colon by reducing exposure to toxins. It is rich source of Zea-Xanthin, a
dietary carotenoid which gives protective UV filtering function. It has humungous health benefits and
should be an important supplement of our diet.
Area, Production and Productivity
It is one of the most cultivated crop in India due to its high protein and various other benefits. In
2004, at global level the total production of dry bean was about 19,393 million metric tons in an area
of 26.6 million hectares. India is also responsible for large production of french beans, accounting for
37.52% of total production. The productivity although is low in India due to unfavourable conditions
and many countries like Lebanon, Africa, Iran, Indonesia, China, Japan etc. are ahead of India.
Cultivation Requirements
Climate and Seasons
It is majorly grown in the temperate and tropical regions of India and shows higher productivity
around temperature of 21°C and an optimum temperature of around 16 to 24°C is better for its
greater yield. It is not advisable to grow french bean at very low or high temperature as t might cause
poor productivity with dropping of buds and flowers. It requires an annual rainfall of 50 – 150 cm for
good harvest. It is highly susceptible to frost and should be harvested before onset of frost. Too
much rainfall may cause water logging which causes flower drop and makes the plant to various
diseases. It is cultivated in India between February to March in hills and in October to November in
Plains.
Soils
It is flexible in terms of soil and can be grown in a wide range of soil ranging from light sand to heavy
clay soil. Although it can be grown in wide range of soils, it gives best results in well drained loams. It
requires an optimum pH of 5.2 to 5.8 for better growth and is also sensitive to high salinity. Seed
germination requires that the soil is adequately moistened. Germination requires a soil temperature
of nearly 15°C and at 18°C germination takes almost 12 days and at 25°C germination takes about 7
days.
Varieties
1. Arka Komal
It was developed by IIHR Bangalore, which produces pods which are straight, flat and green with
large brown seeds. It gives a yield of 19t/ha of pods and 3t/ha of seeds.
2. Arka Subidha
It was developed by IIHR Bangalore. It produces pods which are oval, light green and fleshy. It gives
an yield of 19t/ha in 70 days.
3. Pusa Parvati
It is developed by IARI, Katrain. The plants are of bushy cultivar with pink flowers. The pods are
green, round and long. It is resistant to Mosaic and Powdery Mildew.
4. Pusa Himalatha
https://discuss.farmnest.com/t/french-beans-cultivation-guide/22193/print 2/8
5/15/2021 French Beans Cultivation Guide - Farm Guides - Farming and Agriculture Community
It is developed by IARI and it is a pole variety cultivar. It produces pods which are medium in size,
round, fleshy and gives an yield of 26t/ha.
5. VL Boni1
It is developed by VPKAS, Almora. It is a dwarf cultivar and produces pods which are round, light
green and fleshy. It gives an yield of 10 – 11t/ha.
6. TKD1
It is developed by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. It is a pole type variety which is suitable for
growing in hills and gives pods which are long and flat. It gives an yield of 5 -6 t/ha in 90 to 100 days.
7. YCDA1
It is developed by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. It is a bushy type cultivar which produces pods
which are slightly flat and seeds with dark purple colour. It is tolerant to diseases like root rot and
anthracnose.
8. KKL1 Moringa bean
It is developed by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. It is a pole type variety with pods which are
long with low fibre.
9. NDVP 8 and 10
Both these varieties are developed by NDAU&T, Faridabad which is a mid season variety and gives
10t/ha yield.
10. Phule Surekha
It is developed by MPKV, Rahuri which produces pods which are long, flat and light green in colour. It
is tolerant to Anthracnose, yellow Mosaic and Wilt disease.
Crop Management
Field Preparation
In hills, the soil is dug properly and mixed with Farm yard manure (FYM) after which beds are formed
of appropriate size. In case of plains, the soil needs to be ploughed twice following which ridges and
furrows are made. It is very important to plough the fields 2 or 3 times properly to fine tilth. During the
last ploughing planking is done to make the soil bed friable for sowing.
Propagation
French beans seeds which are matured and dried are used for propagation. It is important to care for
the seeds for efficient germination and good production.
Sowing, Nursery and Transplanting
French bean seeds can be sown twice in the year in two different seasons. The sowing time also
varies depending on the type of region. In plains, it can be sown in January – February and also can
be sown in July – September; in hills it can be sown between March to June. It is preferable to sow
them in warm soil. It is advisable to not grow the french bean in the same soil as was grown previous
year for better productivity. A groove or drill can be made in the soil, which should be almost 5 cm
deep and almost 10 cm away from each other. There are different types of french beans which
require different cultivation methods. In case of the climbing french beans, they can be grown by
https://discuss.farmnest.com/t/french-beans-cultivation-guide/22193/print 3/8
5/15/2021 French Beans Cultivation Guide - Farm Guides - Farming and Agriculture Community
staking on any support. Traditionally, they are grown in double rows of bamboo canes with a space
of 45cm between the rows. The bamboo canes are placed 15cm apart from each other and tied at
top to a horizontal cane. After the bamboo structure, plant one bean plant at base of each cane and
tie their shoots loosely to it enabling it to grow upwards efficiently. Another variety of french bean is
dwarf french beans, which grow only 45 cm tall and thus can be grown in small blocks. In case of the
bush type of french bean, the pods are allowed to mature for 110 days and the seeds are sown. The
seeds are sown in fields in ridges and furrows.
Seed Rate
It depends on the type and variety of the French bean. If it is dwarf bean, about 50 to 75kg/ha is
required and in case of pole type 25kg/ha is required.
Seed Treatment and Sowing
The plants are susceptible to many diseases and thus seed treatments aids in getting good
productivity. Below are various ways to treat the seeds.
The seeds can be treated with 4g/kg of Trichoderma or 2g/kg of Thiaram or Carbandazim before
24 hours of sowing the seeds.
The seeds can be treated with Rhizobium culture at 30 gm sugar solution per kg of seed and it
can also be treated with Rhizobium phaseoli for quick nodulation.
Spacing
Bush type of french bean should have an optimum spacing of 5 – 10cm between them with 0.6 to
0.9m space between the rows. In case of pole french beans, the seeds can be sown 15 – 25cm
apart with a space of 0.9 to 1.2m space between rows. Dwarf type french beans can be planted 40 to
70 mm apart with spacing between rows to be 450 to 600mm.
Cropping Patterns
Intercropping is one of the most important way to increase the productivity of the crop. It can be
intercropped with several crops like maize, soybean, popcorn, groundnut and rice which helps in
giving a better yield. The rotation also depends on the area. In uplands, it can be grown in the month
of August or September after maize production. In some areas, intercropping of pole beans with corn
or okra as stalk gives higher yield and also okra stalk makes itself a brilliant support for the vine to
climb.
Water Management
French bean is a shallow rooted crop, thus it becomes a sensitive crop to both water stress and
water logging. It is necessary that only required amount of water reaches the crop. If some amount of
moisture remains after rainy season, it is very good for the plant growth. If the plant is subjected to
water stress conditions when the flowers are in pre blooming stage and pod filling stage, it adversely
affects the plant productivity. If the french bean cultivation is done on black cotton soil, there are
chances of water logging and hence it is advisable to grow the french bean on ridges. The plant can
be irrigated through furrow irrigation method rather than the regular irrigation. Irrigation totally
depends on the type of cultivar, soil as well as the climate conditions. If there is water deficit during
vegetative period, it retards plant growth and leads to non uniform growth. It is required that the
plants are properly irrigated during flowering period which ultimately leads to good yield, but also if
there is water logging it might increase disease incidence. The french bean crop can be
supplemented with partial or full irrigation, depending on the variety.
https://discuss.farmnest.com/t/french-beans-cultivation-guide/22193/print 4/8
5/15/2021 French Beans Cultivation Guide - Farm Guides - Farming and Agriculture Community
Nutrient Management
French bean is a leguminous crop and since it has its own capacity to fix nitrogen, its requirement for
fertilizer is relatively lower than other crops.
Bush cultivar of french bean requires an amount of 40kg/ha of nitrogen, 90kg/ha of phosphorus
and 90kg/ha of potassium as nutrient treatment.
It is highly effective to apply half of N along with full P and K, as basal dose while making the
furrows and ridges for sowing the seeds and also after a week from germination.
Micronutrients are also very important for high productivity of french bean, hence 0.1% of B, Cu,
Mo, Zn, Mn and Mg is recommended for improving the quality and pod formation.
Apply 20 – 25 tons of FYM per ha for better nutrient management.
Excessive application of nitrogen should be avoided as it may lead to vigorous vegetative growth
at expense of pod formation.
Weed Management
After sowing the seeds, weeds start to grow after 2 or 3 weeks. Initially, before sowing the field can
be tilled and ploughed to remove all the weeds. After the seeds germination, the field requires
weeding manually and hoeing at interval of 15 days twice to eliminate the potential threat by weeds.
Weed can be controlled by application of 2 to 2.5 kg/ha Alachlor. Many weedicides like Stomp at
3L/ha or Goal at 750ml/ha can be sprayed for effective control of weeds for about 45 days. Another
chemical Basagran can also be used to control broad leaved weeds.
Pests and Management
Corn Earworm (Helicoverpa zea)
The larvae damage the leaves, buds, flowers and pods. The larvae damages the flowers and
bore into fruit. Large entry holes are very evident which may lead to internal rotting. It can be
controlled by spraying insecticides and also the insects can be removed by shaking the plant on
white sheet.
Aphids (Aphid craccivora)
Mainly cowpea and pea aphids infest french bean. If aphid infestation is heavy, it causes leaves
to turn yellow and necrotic spots appear on the leaves and shoots appear to be stunted. It also
causes retardation in the growth of vines adversely affecting the yield. It can be managed by
covering the plant with reflective mulches like silver coloured plastic and also by spraying the
plant with strong water jet. One of the best way to control is use of insecticidal soaps or oil like
neem or canola oil. It can also be controlled by spraying Methyl Demeton 25 EC or Dimethoate
30 EC each at 1ml/lit. It can also be controlled by spraying 1ml/L of water of Rogar or
Metasystox. Spraying insecticides like Thiodan at 1ml/L or Sevin at 2ml/L is also highly effective.
Pod Borer (Maruca vitrata)
It feeds on the seeds of the damaged pods and also the larvae creates holes in the pod. The
crop is infested from early budding stage and the eggs are laid on the flowers leading the larvae
to enter the flowers. The caterpillars roll the leaves and web these with top shoots. It can be
efficiently controlled by spraying Carbaryl 50 WP thrice at intervals at rate of 2g/L. The plant can
also be dusted with Carbaryl 10D at rate of 2.5 kg/ha. It can also be controlled by spraying 2ml/L
of water of Endosulphan or Thiodan or Malathion. Neem Seed Kernel Extract at 5% can also be
applied if population exceeds.
https://discuss.farmnest.com/t/french-beans-cultivation-guide/22193/print 5/8
5/15/2021 French Beans Cultivation Guide - Farm Guides - Farming and Agriculture Community
Bean Weevil (Acanthoscelide obtectus)
The adult weevils lay eggs on stored seeds and larvae bore into the seeds and feed on them till
they mature. It leads to formation of holes which ultimately decreases the germination potential of
the seeds. It can be curbed by fumigating the seeds with phosphine gas which is available in
form of Celphos and Phosfume tablets, which can be applied at rate of 1 or 2 tablets per tonne of
seed.
Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci)
The eggs are laid on the underside of the leaves which hatch in 8 days and they feed on the sap
by sucking it. Early morning vacuuming of the plant so that the adults are unable to lay eggs is a
control measure for small areas. It can also be controlled by placing yellow stick traps with castor
oil which attracts the insects and they stick on the trap. It can also be controlled by spraying
0.25% Metasystox or Rogor in early crop stage.
Diseases and Management
Alternaria Leaf spot (Alternaria alternata)
Forms small irregular brown coloured lesions on leaves which gradually turns gray brown with
larger circles. The lesions collectively forms large necrotic patches. Plants which are grown in
nitrogen and potassium deficient soils are more susceptible to this disease. It may lead to
premature defoliation of leaves causing reddish brown lesions which merge into long streaks that
develop on the pods.
Anthracnose (Glomerella lindemuthiana)
Small, dark brown to black lesions on cotyledons and lesions on stem occurs which appear to be
sunken. Lesions also occur on the pods which are brown to purple in colour and appear to be
sunken. When germination of infected seeds takes place, lesions develop of cotyledons and the
spores can be spread by insects, humans or cultivars. It can be controlled by using pathogen
free seeds. It can be effectively controlled by crop rotation . The disease can be controlled by
spraying foliar sprays like Mancozeb at 2g/lit or Carbendazim at 1g/lit or Chlorothalonil at 2g/lit.
Halo Blight (Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola)
Caused by a seedborne pathogen. It forms small, angular and water soaked spots on the lower
leaf surface and forms a halo of yellow tissue which develops around each water soaked spot.
On pods, the water soaked spots many become slightly sunken and reddish brown with age. In
order to prevent occurrence of this disease, deep ploughing and pathogen free seeds are
required. The seeds can be treated with streptomycin and can be curbed by spraying copper
containing chemicals every 7 to 10 days on the infected plants.
Bacterial Blight (Xanthomonas campestris or Xanthomonas axonopodis)
Leads to formation of water soaked spots on leaves which enlarge and become necrotic. The
lesions coalesce and give the plant burned appearance. On pods circular, sunken and red brown
lesion are formed on the pods. This disease can be caused by contaminated seed, wet weather
conditions etc. This organism is commonly seedborne and as the germination occurs, bacteria
contaminate the surface of the cotyledon and spread to leaves finally spreading across the
vascular system. It can be controlled by crop rotation and deep ploughing can also eliminate
infested bean debris in field. It can also be treated with copper based fungicide such as Kocide
101.
Bacterial Brown Spot (Pseudomonas syringae)
Causes small oval, necrotic lesions on leaves. The leaf tissue around the lesion may appear
https://discuss.farmnest.com/t/french-beans-cultivation-guide/22193/print 6/8
5/15/2021 French Beans Cultivation Guide - Farm Guides - Farming and Agriculture Community
puckered and they may coalesce and their centers fall out, giving leaves tattered appearance.
Small lesions also appear on pods. It can be curbed by crop rotation and spraying of the plants
with copper containing chemicals weekly.
Rust (Uromyces appendiculatus)
Is favoured by high humid conditions. It causes slightly raised, small white spots on the lower leaf
and these spots turn red to dark brown. It can be managed and control by crop rotation and
spraying sprays such as Baycor 30% EC, Anvil, Alto 100SL, Dithane M45 etc after every two
weeks is highly effective. It can also be controlled by dusting sulphur at 25 kg/ha.
Angular Leaf Spot (Phaeoisariopsis griseola)
Causes brown or red coloured spots with purple edges and grey to brown centres on the leaves,
stalks and pods. This disease may cause the leaves to fall of pre maturely. It can be curbed by
treating the seeds with chemicals like Fernasan D at 3gm per kg of seed. The disease can also
be checked by spraying chemicals like Benomyl.
Harvesting and Yield
French beans can be harvested in pod stage as well as can be harvested for its seeds. The pods are
harvested in immature and tender stage, which are ready for harvest within 7 – 12 days after
flowering. But harvest also depends totally on type of varieties. In bush varieties, 2 or 3 harvests are
made and in case of pole type variety, 3 to 5 harvest are made. If the french bean are harvested for
seeds, it is to be ensured that pods are harvested only after maturation. They should be harvested
ideally before the seeds bulge out of the pod. The beans should be picked after morning dew is
completely off and the pod is dry. Harvesting can be done manually or through machine but hand
harvest is better. It should be carefully removed, so that the pods are not damaged. Harvested pods
should be allowed to dry little under sun before packaging them. Make sure the pods are not
squeezed. The yield greatly varies from types of cultivars, with 8 to 10 t/ha in bush varieties and 12 –
15t/ha in case of pole type french beans. It gives an yield of 1250 to 1500 kg/ha seeds.
Marketing
It is a major protein source and thus has greater demand across the world. The farmers enter into
marketing strategy by encouraging contract farming, which involves price setting. They are grown by
the farmers in large areas covering several hectares, which are brought to market for large scale
selling via various middlemen and other traders. With a little more strategic marketing, it can be
widely exported from India to various countries and also can be marketed on a large scale in India.
Post Harvest Technology
The pods once harvested should be cleaned, graded and packed properly. It is very important that
the pods are of good size and don’t bulge out. They should be picked up at the right stage. While
harvested the pods, it is to be ensured that the pods are of equivalent size which after that are
graded and selected through manual selection.
After that the beans are packed for keeping it fresh for longer duration. Some growers pack it after
harvest and some do it later. Generally, the french bean is packed in wooden or card board box. It is
very important that the french beans are stored properly in order to increase their shelf life. In order
to keep them from perishing, it should be immediately cooled at 4 to 5 °C. Dehydration and damage
can be effectively controlled by instant cooling. In order to increase its self life, the pods after being
harvested should be immediately cooled within 1 or 2 hours. It should be subjected to hydro cooling,
by which large quantities of french bean are brought in contact with chilled water and is highly
https://discuss.farmnest.com/t/french-beans-cultivation-guide/22193/print 7/8
5/15/2021 French Beans Cultivation Guide - Farm Guides - Farming and Agriculture Community
effective when the beans needs to be shipped.
It is very important to use chlorinated water while washing and hydro cooling as it is a germicidal
agent and can effectively control damage by decay causing organisms. The storage temperature
should not be very low as it causes chilling injury.
After the french beans are cooled, they are packaged in the container according to the marketing
needs. After packaging it properly, it is shipped for marketing purpose.
discuss #2 May 25, 2017, 1:47pm
Reserved for additional information
Manmatha #3 December 23, 2018, 10:32am
Where is availability of Seeds…? Mobile no/ Address please…?
https://discuss.farmnest.com/t/french-beans-cultivation-guide/22193/print 8/8
