Cultivation Guide for Kidney Bean Series

1, Requirement of Natural Circumstance and Condition

1.1, Temperature

The beans belong to the crops which are fond of high temperature. The seed sprouts faster in 25-35 degree celsius, and slowly when the temperature is bellow 20 degree celsius with low sprouting rate. The suitable temperature is 20-30 degree celsius for seedling stage, and belowing 15 degree will prolongs the stage. In vine growing period, the plant will grows well under 20-25 degree celsius. For blossom and fruiting period, the suitable temperature is 25-30 degree celsius, and the plant will develops normally in 35 degree, but above this temperature, the dropping of flower will increases and the bean quality will be lower.

1.2, Illumination

Beans can be devided into two kinds according to the reaction to illumination. One does not strictly require on length of illumination, which can grow normally under long day and short day. Most of the varieties belong to this kind. The other one requires the length of illumination strictly. For both two kinds of beans, the short day seasons will promote the germination of side vines on all vine nodes, forwards the blossom node of the first flower, and bring forwards the blossom and fruiting.

1.3, Moisture

The beans require adequate moisture, but they are endurant to drought. In germination and seedling stage, the soil is not suitable to be too moist, so as to avoid reducing sprouting rate or causing rotten and dead seedlings. In blossom and fruiting period, too much moisture will goes against the activity of root system and Rhizobium, even causes rotten root, disease and dropping of flower and fruit.

1.4, Soil

The beans have wide adaptability to soil. It is better to choose neutral loam or sandy loam which has thick and fertile soil layer with well drainage. The suitable PH value is 6.2-7.
 
As the root nodule is not as developed as other leguminosae, a certain amount of nitrogen fertilizer should be supplied, combined with phosphate fertilizer. Adding supply of phosphate will promotes the growth of root nodule and increases yield.

2, Cultivation Season and Selection of Variety

For Spring cultivation, the seeds is generally sown from Dec. to middle Jan. next year, by double rows, and sold to market from May to Mar. For Autumn cultivation, it is sown from Jul. to late Sept. and enter market from late Sept. to Dec. It is suggested to choose varieties such as Italy No. 38 Jade Bean, Tailand No. 18 Jade Bean, etc.

3, Selection of Field and Supply of base Manure

It is better to choose Neutral loam or sandy loam which has deep soil layer and more organic substance, with well drainage and ventilation. If the PH value of soil is bellow 5.5, supply lim to adjust it, so as to benefit the growth of root nodule. Choose the field which is not cultivated with kidny bean last year, with well drainage, better to be winter-idle. Plough the field deeply before Winter, for about 15-20cm, and sun the ridge. Before ploughing, supply adequate base manure. For each acre, supply 9000kg of quality organic manure, 180kg of superphosphate calcium or 90kg of diammonium phosphate, and 60kg of Potassium Chloride. If for cultivation with mulching film, increase base manure properly. As it rains a lot sourth China, it is better to make deep ditch and high ridge. The width of ridge is 1.3m for vine-growing variety and 1.8m for short-growing variety.

4, Sowing and Culture of Seedling

For the cultivation season of kidney bean, the principle is to avoid frost season and not blossom and podding in the most tropical season. In Hainan areas, it can be sown from Dec. to Jan. next year directly in open field, or cultured using facilities such as cold frame and plastic tunnel. Before sowing, sun the seeds for 1-2 days, then wash in 1% formalin liquid for 20 minutes. Then rinse by clear water and soak in warm water for 3-4 hours, then fish out and drain for sowing. The seeds can also be dressed by 0.3% thiram before sowing. Sow 3 grains of seeds each hole, supply adequate base water, and then cover with 5cm thick fine soil. Then cover with mulching film to keep warm. The temperature of seedbed should be maintained in 18-20 degree celsius. Remove the mulching film after the germination of seedling. Cover with grass mat if there will be attacked by cold wave. After about one week when the main leaf is outgrown, uncover the tunnel in the daytime to prevent seedling from excessive growth. 2-3 days before setting, uncover the tunnel for training of seedling. For early Spring cultivation, it can also be cultivated by covering field mulching film, to increase the earth temperature and promote early maturity. For direct sowing, if the soil is too droughty, water in advance for 4-5 days to create soil moisture.
 
For vine variety, the planting distance is 50-60cm by 30-40cm. Sow in hole, with 3-4 grains of seeds each hole for short planting distance cultivation and reserve 2 plants in the end, and 4-5 grains for long planting distance one and reserve 3 plants. Cultivate 48000-60000 plants per acre. for short-growing varieties, the planting distance is 37-46cm by 33cm, sow 3-4 grains of seeds in each hole, and reserve 2 plants in the end. Cultivate 10200-14400 plants per acre. It requires 15-18kg of seeds for vine-growing variety and 18-30kg for short-growing variety per acre.
 
For Autumn cultivation, the seeds are usually sown directly, but the sowing should be timely. If sow too early, the high temperature is early period will causes dropping of flower. If too late, the low temperature in late period will make the growth of the plant difficult. In South China, the suitable sowing time is from Aug. to Oct. In early Aug., as the weather is hot and droughty, for timely germination, water the field in advance and then prepare soil and make ridge. As the growing period of Autumn kidney bean is short, the growth is not vigorous as Spring one and the illumination is adequate, the planting distance can be denser slightly than Spring cultivation. Cultivate 72000-90000 plants for vine-growing variety and 150000-180000 plants for short-growing one per acre.

5, Field Management

5.1, Timely Thinning and Complementary Planting of Seedling

When plant outgrows the first pair of primary leaves, timely check, thin and complementarily plant seedlings. During seedling stage, thin seedlings for 1-2 times, to remove seedlings which have the first pair of primary leaves injured or broken off, and the ones which are week, abnormal or over growth. Sow some seeds in the corner of field or in nutrient pot when sowing, for using as complementary planting of seedlings.

5.2, Cultivation

Before the plant grows to cover the whole ridge, cultivate frequently, especially after the seedling stage and setting. The cultivation will maintains the soil moisture and increases earth temperature, and promotes early fruiting. Generally, the ridge do not need cultivation.

5.3, Top Dressing

The principle of top dressing is that, fertilize less before blossom and more after, haavily in acme of podding. For nitrogen fertilizer, supply a few in seedling stage, and in proper quantity from spreading of vine to first blossom, but to arrange according to the growth of plant. If the growth is vigorous, control the supply of nitrogen fertilizer, and combined with phosphate and potash fertilizer properly after blossom and podding, with more potash fertilizer than nitrogen fertilizer. After blossom, spray mixed liquid to outer root which is combined with 0.3% Monopotassium phosphate, 0.1% borax and 0.3% ammonium molybdate, once in 7-10 day interval, continue for 2-3 times. The increasing effect on yield is notable.

5.4, Irrigation

Except for the supply of base water when sowing, generally not to supply water in seedling stage. When setting, supply once root-fixing water, and once more recovering water after 3-4 days. After that until the podding of first inflorescence, do not or supply a few water. In blossom acme, supply water frequently. Keep the soil moist until the end of harvest.

5.5, Building Shelf Timely

When the vine-growing plant start to sprout vines, build shelf in time. The shape of shelf is A-bracket, conversed A-bracket and tetragon type. The best one is the A-bracket. The shelf should be built high and firm to prevent collapse of shelf. After building, revolve vines on shelf in time.

6， Control of Disease and Insect Pest

6.1, Insect Pest

6.1.1, Pod Borer
The damage by pod borer is mainly by the larva which bore into the pod to eat beans, and heap up fecal pellet outside the bore hole. It will damage kidney bean, haricot bean, cowpea, pea, soybean and so on. The aging larva is about 13-18mm long, in red-purple color, with bone pattern spot in black color in the center sternum of prothorax and 1-2 black spots on both side. The aging larva hibernate in soil, and eclosion in next year to lay eggs on bean plant. The larve hatches and causes damage. The damage is more serious in droughty year than rainy year.
 
Control method. Adjust the sowing period to keep podding period away from the acme of imago. In the acme of imago and hatching of larva, spray 700-1000 times of 90% dipterex crystal or 3000-4000 times of 20% fenvalerate, once in 7-10 days interval, continue for 2-3 times.
6.1.2, Aphid
The main host of aphid including horsebean and cowpea. It sucks the juice, causing the growing potential of the plant to be weaken, evenly to be stop when serious, and also spread virus disease
Control method. To prevent and control mainly by pesticide. Usually spray 1500 times of 40% dimethoate EC, 1000 times of 10% imidacloprid WP, or 3000 times of 50% pirimicarb, continue for 2-3 times.

6.2, Disease

6.2.1, Bacterial Blight disease
It is also called Leaf scorch, which can damage many kinds of beans, mainly on leaf, vine and pod. There are staining spots on leaf, with yellow halo around the ege of spot. The diseased part will turn to be translucent when dried, and perforated later, and the whole leaf will become dry rot like fired. The stalk on stem is in red brown color, long strip shape, and slightly sunken, cracked in the end. The spot on pod is nearly circular, slightly sunken, overflows yellow bacteria pus from disease psrt in high humidity. The disease will be seriously when the field is lack of fertilizer, with many weed and insect pest, especially in hot and rainy weather.
 
Control method. Choose disease-resistant variety to cultivate. Disinfect seeds. At the beginning of disease, spray 2000 times of antimicrobial No. 401, 1:1:200 Bordeaux mixture, 800 times of 80% dithane Z-78 WP, 600 times of 53% Ridomil  water dispersant granule, or 800 times of 72% mancozeb, once in 7 days, continue for 2-3 times.
6.2.2，Anthrax disease
This disease mainly occurs on pod near ground. Small brown spots at the beginning, then expanses to be nearly circular, hollow in central spot. It can damage beans through pod. The edge is in concentric annulation. For the spot on leaf, it is mainly on back side, spread in polygon along veins, in red brown color then turn into brown. The spot will excretes red sticky matter in moist condition. The disease spot on stem is slightly hollow, in brown color. the anthrax disease is caused by fungus. The warm, humid, rainy, foggy, and dewy environmental conditions are conducive to disease. Continuous cropping, low-lying, dense planting, clay land, and extensive management will cause serious disease.
 
Control method. Process crop rotation, distinct seeds and supply more phosphate and potash fertilizer. In early disease period, spray 1:1:200 bordeaux mixture, 800 times of 50% carbendazim or 80% dithane Z-78 WP, or 1000 times of prochloraz EC, once in 5-7 days, continue for 2-3 times.
6.2.3, Rust disease
It mainly damage leaf, stem and pod. The damage on leaf is most serious. At first, the small spot is in white-yellow color, then turn to yellow-brown heave pimple slowly. When the skin of the spot splits, it will spread out rust powder. In late period, it will generate bigger black-brown heave spot, which will spreads black powder grain when the skin is split. The disease will be serious in hot and humid weather, spread rapidly in more dew weather.
Control method. Process crop rotation. After the attack, spray 2000 times of 25% triadimefon, or 1000 times of (25%mancozeb+8%triadimefon), once in 20 days, continue for 2-3 times.

7, Harvest

The pod should be picked in time, suitably in about 13 days after blossom when the length and thickness grows to maximum and the beans just plump up. Timely picking will increase quality and yield. Earlier picking will impact yield, while later picking will lead to the increasing of fibre and reduce of quality, also to impact the growth of plant, causing dropping of flower and pod. When pick, avoid injuring other flower buds on the inflorescence.