| 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 |
