User:Sistrebe/sandbox/adzuki bean

Cultivation

Ecological requirements

Optimal temperature range for adzuki bean growth is between 15° and 30°C. The crop is not frost-hardy and needs soil temperatures for germination above 6-10°C (30°-34°C optimal). Hot temperatures stimulate vegetative growth and are therefore less favorable for pea production. The adzuki bean is usually not irrigated. Annual rainfall ranges from 500-1750 mm in areas where the bean is grown. The plant can withstand drought but severe reduction in yield is expected. The cultivation of the adzuki bean is possible on preferably well drained soils with pH 5-7.5. Fertilizer application differs widely depending on expected yield but generally similar to soybean. Due to nodulation with rhizobia nitrogen fixation up to 100kg per ha is possible.

Pests and diseases

Fungal and bacterial diseases of the adzuki bean are powdery mildew, brown stem rot and bacterial blight. Furthermore, pests as adzuki pod worm, Japanese butterbur borer and cutworm attack the crop. Bean weevil is an important storage pest.

Production

The 1000-seed weight of adzuki bean is 50-200g. The sowing of the peas is in 2-3 cm depth in rows 30-90 cm apart and 10-45 cm within the row. Rarely seeds are sown by broadcast. The amount of seeds ranges between 8-70kg/ha. Growth of the crop is slow, therefore weed control is crucial mainly between germination and flowering. Cultivation systems differ largely among different country as in China adzuki bean is often grown in intercrops with maize sorghum and millet while in Japan the bean is grown in crop rotations. Harvest of the peas should not be done as long as moisture content of the seed is higher than 16%.