COMMON LEGUMES AND

ROOTCROPS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Field crops are composed of several crop species and may be classified
according to agronomic uses. Among these are the legumes and rootcrops
(including some tuber crops).
Legumes/Pulses
Legumes or pulses are grown for their edible seeds as in
beans and peas. When the grains are of importance, these
are called grain legumes that are grown for their edible dry
seeds as in mungo, peanut and soybeans.
Legumes/Pulses

Pulses are grain legumes used for food, livestock feed and
soil improvement. They are annual crops that require long
growing seasons. They are slow to become established and
consequently are poor at controlling weeds.
Pulses fix nitrogen, particularly fava beans, field beans and
mungbeans that are used as green manure crops to add
nitrogen.
Legumes/Pulses

Usually some of these green manure legumes are inoculated

with appropriate Rhizobium. Unlike cereals, pulses leave very
little stubbles. The crop residue has low carbon-to-nitrogen
ratio (C:N) and breaks down quickly.
Among the field legumes, the food legumes are of utmost
importance. These are significant for the following reasons:

Source of food of man and feed for animals

Supplies protein (cotyledons are 2-3x richer than cereal grains
Sources of calories
Sources of oil (soybeans, peanuts, winged beans)
Sources of carbohydrates
IMPORTANCE OF LEGUMES

Sources of nutrients (Vitamin A, Riboflavin, Vitamin C,

Thiamine, Nicotinic Acid, Calcium and iron

Help to balance nature by converting atmospheric

nitrogen to ammonia (soluble form of nitrogen)

Can add up to 500 kg of nitrogen per hectare per year

Composition of Legume Seeds (dry weight)

Oil - 1 - 40%
Carbohydrate - 60%
Protein 15 50%
MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
LEGUMES

the only member of the third largest order of flowering plants

in terms of species (18,000 species).

considered as the second most important crop economically,

after cereals (grasses)

have papilionaceous or butterfly-like flowers with five petals (a

standard petal, 2 wings, a keel (2 united petals or vexillum)
 MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
LEGUMES

Root system - tap root with primary and secondary roots

Leaf venation netted
Leaf arrangement (phyllotaxy) alternate or opposite
Nature of stem herbaceous
Floral parts multiple of 5s; 5 petals, 5 sepals, 10 stamens, 1 ovary
(one carpel)
Life expectancy of legume either annual, biennials or perennials
 Morphological Characteristics of
Legumes
Types of legume flowers:

Raceme - a number of flowers in short pedicels (stalks) of equal lengths

are arranged on a common axis or central stalk, e.g. pea
Head - short cluster of sessile flowers on a short axis or receptacle, e.g.
clover
Spike-like - the flower is attached to the main stem, e.g. peanut
 Morphological Characteristics of
Legumes

The fruit (pod)

single-chambered,
flattened seedpod
with 2 sutures that splits along two
sutures (e.g. mungo)

There are two kinds of legume pods:

Indehiscent - not splitting, e.g. peanut
Dehiscent - splitting or explosively dehiscent,
e.g. mungbean
 PRINCIPAL GENERA OF FIELD
LEGUMES
Trifolium (Clover)
Medicago (Alfalfa)
Pisum (Field Pea)
Vigna (Cowpea)
Stizolobium(Velvet bean)
Pueraria (Kudzu)
Phaseolus (Field Bean)
Glycine (Soybean)
Melilotus (Sweet Clover)
Vicia (Vetches)
Lupins (Lupines)
Lotus (Trefoils)
Family - Fabaceae/Leguminosae

Sub-families:
1. Papilinoideae - e.g. peas and beans
2. Mimosoideae - e.g. acacia and mimosas
3. Caesalpinioideae - e.g. brazilwood and carob
CLASSIFICATION OF LEGUMES
1. Food Legumes - from food standpoint, legumes are
considered one of the most important groups of crops in the
Philippines
e.g. Vigna radiata
Glycine max
Cajanus cajan

2. Ornamental Legumes and shade trees

e..g. Caballero , flame tree , Acasia, tamarind
CLASSIFICATION OF LEGUMES

3. Legumes for dyeing purposes e.g. Indigo, camachile

4. Legumes for medicinal purposes e.g. Balayong (Pahudia rhomboidea)
5. Legumes as green manures - e.g. alfalfa, manimanihan, calopogonium,
6. Legumes for insecticides e.g. Derris spp.
7. Dangerous Legumes e.g. Lipay (Goyo)
8. Legumes for fencing purposes e.g. madre de cacao, acasia, ipil-ipil
,
Three categories of legume species:

Predominantly
self-pollinated - e.g. Phaseolus vulgaris
Normally cross-pollinated - e.g. Medicago sativa
Open cross-pollinated - e.g. Cajanus cajan
PHILIPPINES

Primary Legumes widely grown as major food grain legumes, as substitute for
meat proteins in the diet, being a poor mans meat.

Secondary Legumes not widely grown as major food grain legumes but are
also of significant value due to its protein content used as extenders of animal
proteins (meat, milk, egg and fish) that are scarce and costly.
 PRIMARY LEGUMES

Common Name Scientific Name

Mungbean - Vigna radiata (P. radiatus; P. aureus)

Soybean - Glycine max
Peanut - Arachis hypogaea
Cadios/Pigeon pea - Cajanus cajan
Field beans/String beans -Phaseolus vulgaris
Cowpea - Vigna unguiculata;
V. catjang; V. sinensis, V. sesquipedalis)
Winged bean - Psophocarpus tetragonolobus
Garden pea - Pisum sativum
 mungbean flowers

mungbean with pods

mungbean seeds
 soybean plant soybean
flowers

soybean pods s
peanut plant peanut flowers

peanut pods and seeds

SECONDARY LEGUMES

Common Name Scientific Name

Patani - Phaseolus lunatus
Tapilan - Phaseolus calcaratus
Rice bean - Vigna umbellata (V. calcaratus; P. calcaratus)
Batao/Hyacinth bean - Dolichos lablab
Sinkamas/Mexican yam bean - Pachyrrhizus erosus
Caturay - Sesbania grandiflora
Chick peas - Cicer arietinum
Broad beans/ horse bean - Vicia faba
PRIMARY GRAIN LEGUMES
Mungbean
Other names black dahl, black gram, black
mung, golden gram, gram bean,
green gram, mungo, red mung
bean, urd, chop suey bean
Uses food preparations such as hopia,
butse-butse, sotanghon, halo-halo
vegetable dishes either sprouted or
whole beans cooked with meat or
shrimp.
intercrop,
rotation
relay crop
Soybean
Soja
Soya
as fodder and and green manure.
forage, fuel
whole bean is used as food, feed and
industrial raw material (solvent and in
making dyes, lacquers and synthetic
resins).
soybean meal by-products and
isolates are potential materials for
paper coatings, insulation, fire
retardant and textile sizing
oil is an ingredient in celluloid, core
oil, printing ink, varnish, electrical
insulating, fuel, glycerin, linoleum,
lubricant, oil cloth, paint, soap, as a
rubber substitute and for cement
water-proofing.
Peanut
mani, goober, groundnut,
earthnut, monkey nut, pinder,
panda, Manila nut, katchang
tanah or katchang goring and
ver kadalai in other countries
rich in oil and protein
nutritious seed which contains
high quality protein (25-30%)
and oil (45-50%)
1 kg of peanut is equal to that
of a kilogram of pork and
exceeds that of an egg, meat
from fowl, and beef.
major source of shortening,
confectionary and other food
and industrial products.
meal is used for livestock feed.
 PRIMARY GRAIN LEGUMES
Mungbean Soybean Peanut
(Vigna radiata) (Glycine max) (Arachis hypogaea)
Soil Requirements can be grown in deep, needs a well-drained, medium-
well-drained, fertile clay textured soil (loam, silt loam,
Upland Culture loam or sandy loam soil silty clay loam, sandy clay
can be grown in soils which are with high calcium loam, sandy loam)
good for corn but for greater yield, content.
well-drained, deep (at least 50 cm moderately to slightly acidic
clay loam to silty loam Soil pH of 5.8 6.5 is (pH 5.5 6.5)
pH of 5.8 - 6.5 is preferred. suitable for the growth of
After paddy rice both soybean and deep (about 50 cm top soil)
after paddy rice, a medium- nitrogen fixing bacteria. and relatively fertile soils
textured soil (loam, silt loam, silty
clay loam, sandy clay loam, sandy pH range of 6.0 6.5 Poorly drained soils should be
loam) facilitates field preparation promotes the most avoided because peanut
before planting satisfactory biological cannot tolerate excessive soil
activities of soil moisture in its entire growth.
organisms
Excessive moisture at
maturity significantly reduced
seed yield and causes rotting
and germination of seeds.

Well-drained and medium

textured soils favor normal
pod development and easy
harvesting in which very few
pods are left in the soil.
 PRIMARY GRAIN LEGUMES
Mungbean
Climatic can be grown in an optimum
Requirements temperature range of 20 30
degree Celsius.
needs plenty of sunlight with
high light intensity
day length of 11.5 13.0
hours.
Soybean
thrives well in areas where
there is less rainfall during
the wet season, and a short
dry season.
temperature requirement -
10-40 degree Celsius.
Peanut
can be grown practically under
all climatic types although the
time and number of cropping
per year may vary.
Where there are two
pronounced seasons (wet and
dry), the crop can be grown at
the onset or towards the end of
the wet season.
In planting peanut at the start
of the wet season, timely
planting is necessary so that the
crop matures when there is less
heavy rainfall.
If planting is done towards the
end of the rainy season, it
should be timed so that the soil
moisture is available during the
crops reproductive stage.
The optimum mean
temperature for peanut ranges
from 22 to 28 degree Celsius.
Fluctuations in daylength in the
Philippines do not influence the
growth and yield of the crop.
 Mungbean
Upland Culture grown in rows similar to other
upland crops.; recommended
for large scale production
After lowland rice sown either by broadcast or
dibble method under zero
tillage or minimum tillage
Land Preparation Well-pulverized seedbed for
1. Upland culture uniform germination and rapid
establishment of the seedlings
which Is done by one plowing
and at least one harrowing of 2-
4 passing of a tractor-drawn
implements.
For animal drawn plow, two
alternate plowing and
harrowing with 2 4 passing in
each harrowing.
Soybean
soil should be well-pulverized
and should have good tilth for
high seed germination and
uniform emergence.
Plowing should be done when
the soil has the right
moisture.
Two to three plowings are
needed with a carabao-drawn
implement.
Two harrowing are sufficient
with a tractor drawn or
mounted harrow.
Peanut
plow the field 15-20 cm deep
Plowing and harrowing be
done 2-3 times to
completely cover the crop
residues
furrows are set at 50-60 cm
apart at an east west
direction to allow greater
penetration and light
interception
 PRIMARY GRAIN LEGUMES
Mungbean Soybean Peanut

Land Preparation

Post paddy rice .Zero tillage, minimum tillage, or

culture complete tillage can be adopted

Zero tillage is recommended for

weed-free areas with heavy-textured
soil

Minimum tillage is suggested for

weed free areas with light textured
soil done by making shallow furrows
between the rows of rice stubbles.

Complete land preparation is

necessary in weedy fields with light
textured soil and with assured
irrigation system and the soil
allowed to dry before starting the
land preparation but entails
additional expenses
 Mungbean Soybean Peanut
PRIMARY GRAIN LEGUMES
Seed protect them from soil borne Inoculation with root-nodule
Treatment diseases and insect pests bacteria or rhizobia
(Bradyrhizobium japonicum) to
improve germination and supply the nitrogen
seedling stand. requirements of legumes.

Biological control of storage Incoculation ensures the

insect pests (weevil establishment of seedlings in
Callosobruchus chinenses)) is also nitrogen-deficient soils which
recommended such as oil lack adequate population of
extracts of Ageratum conyzoides, suitable rhizobia, or where
Blumea balsamifera, the indigenous rhizobial
Chrysanthemum indicum, Coleus population is ineffective.
amboinicus, Vitex negundo,
Azadirachta indica and Cocos
nucifera. Other treatments
include ground balck pepper
(Piper nigrum) and hot pepper
(Capsicum frutescens) at 600 ppm.
 PRIMARY GRAIN LEGUMES
Mungbean
Planting:
Upland culture Planting is done by row-drill or row-hill
method.
For row-drill at least 20 seeds per
linear meter is recommended.
For row-hill method, 35 seeds are
planted per hill set at 20 cm between
hills within the row.
Seeds are planted at a depth of 3-
4cm. Thinning is done 10-15 days after
emergence.
Soybean Peanut
During wet season done manually or mechanically
planting, soybean may be
planted in the later part of Drill method sowing seeds
May and the whole month singly and evenly along the
of June. furrows (10-15 cm apart)
Hill method 2-3 seeds per hill
at 20-25 cm apart in the row
Depth of planting 3-4 cm
Cover seeds with thin layer of
soil

Post paddy rice Drill method is applicable for furrowed During the dry season,
culture areas; 15-25 seeds per linear meter planting starts in October
dibble (hill) - seeds are planted per hill until the first week of
with spacing of 20-25 cm. November if enough
zero tillage,- holes are punched beside moisture is available.
the rice stubbles and 3-4 seeds in every
hole
broadcast method - seeds are evenly
broadcast on the moist field with a
spike-tooth harrow or bamboo
pole/tree branch with twigs is drag over
the area to dislodge the seeds trapped
in the rice stubbles
 PRIMARY GRAIN LEGUMES
Mungbean Soybean Peanut

Planting Distances Set furrows at 50-60 cm DBR = 50-60 cm apart

apart and 4-6 cm deep
Distance between DBH = 20-25 cm
rows (DBR) inoculated seeds are sown
in rows, 50-60 cm apart
1. Upland Culture 50 cm ; 20 pplm and covered with fine soil
Drill Method 50 cm; 22-23 pplm

Hill Method 50 cm; 3-4 plants per hill

at 20 cm
between
hills
2. Post paddy culture
Drill Method 25 cm; 15-20 pplm
50 cm; 20-25 pplm

Hill Method 25 cm; 15-20 pplm

30 cm; 15-20 pplm
 PRIMARY GRAIN LEGUMES
Mungbean
Water Requirement daily water requirement of
munbean fluctuates depending
on the intensity of solar
radiation and rate of
evaporation
generally requires 3-5 mm of
water per day or about 410
mm per cropping season.
early dry season planting
(September October) does
not need supplemental irrigation
late dry season planting
(January-March) requires
irrigation at its various critical
stages of growth.
Overhead sprinkle or
furrow irrigation is necessary.
Soybean Peanut
0.5 0.8 cm per day during the Critically needs water during
seed filling stage germination, flowering, pod
formation and pod filling stages
During the entire growing
period, it needs 550-700mm. Maximum water requirement =
500-600 m/crop/season
For dry areas, three irrigations
are applied. Drainage may pose a problem
during wet season planting
The recommended application
rate is 40-60 cm/cropping season. Supplemental irrigation is
necessary for late dry season
The first application is done planting with an average
soon after planting. supplemental water of 40-50 mm
per application enough to wet a
The other two irrigations are 30 cm depth soil.
applied during the period of
blooming and pod setting.
 PRIMARY GRAIN LEGUMES
Mungbean
Fertilization commercial production
(based on soil analysis) -
basal application of 3 bags of
complete fertilizer per
hectare is recommended for
heavy soils (loam to clay
loam) and 4 bags for light
soils (sandy to sandy loam).
upland culture, the fertilizer
is applied evenly at the
bottom of the furrows and
covered with a thin layer of
fine soil before planting the
seeds
post paddy rice culture, the
fertilizer is broadcast after
seeding and before flush
irrigation.
Soybean
It has high requirements for
mineral nutrients like P, Ca,
Mg and S.
Fertilization be based from
soil analysis results.
In the absence of a soil
analysis, and during dry
season cropping, basal
application of 3 bags of
ammonium phosphate and
1 bag of muriate of potash
per hectare is
recommended. If these
fertilizers are not available,
4 bags of complete fertilizer
(14-14-14) per hectare may
be used.
Peanut
Apply fertilizer in areas of
low fertility at the rate of 3
bags of solophos and 1 bag of
muriate of potash per hectare
plus inoculation with proper
strain of rhizobium
Drill evenly the fertilizer
materials along the furrows
and cover with thin layer of
soil before seed sowing
Apply calcium sulfate at the
rate of 200-300 kg/ha to
enhance formation and filling
of pods
Apply calcium 25-30 days
after plant emergence of
before hilling up
sources of calcium are
limestone and calcium
magnesium carbonate
 PRIMARY GRAIN LEGUMES
Mungbean Soybean Peanut

Fertilization Basal application of fertilizer at Liming for soils below

planting is recommended however, pH 5.8 or in soils with low
during wet season and when using calcium content
sing-element fertilizer, the N may be
split into two applications to Broadcast 2/3 of the lime
minimize losses due to leaching. The required 3-4 months
first half of the N and all of the P and before planting and plow
K are applied as basal and the under; the other 1/3 to be
remaining N is side-dressed about 2 applied a week before
weeks after planting or just before planting
hilling up.

Weed Minimize weed growth by thorough Two weeks after Off-barring 10-15 days
Management land preparation during planting. emergence, animal- after plant emergence
drawn cultivator is
Spot weeding passed between rows to Spot weeding within
destroy emerging furrows before flowering
inter-tillage cultivation weeds and to cover the or 25-30 days after
fertilizer if side-dressed. emergence
use of herbicides if crop may be This is followed by hand
harmed by pulling or tillage weeding within the
cultivation rows. Shallow hilling-up
before blooming stage
may be done.
 Mungbean Soybean Peanut

Inoculation Spread pea inoculants
containing sufficient amount of
effective rhizobia to increase the
chance of the young plants being
inoculated by the rhizobia
Inoculation with root-nodule
bacteria or rhizobia is one
way of using microorganisms
to supply the nitrogen
requirements of legumes.
Apply inoculant below the
seed before planting
Do not mix inoculant with
treated seeds

When the young plants begin to It ensures the establishment

grow, the effective rhizobia are of seedlings in nitrogen-
right there to form nodules and deficient soils which lack
to fix atmospheric nitrogen. adequate population of
suitable rhizobia, or where
Follow the recommended the indigenous rhizobial
procedure in applying inoculants population is ineffective.
to the seeds

Mulching Mulch during dry season

planting using leaves, straws,
peat moss around the plants to
reduce evaporation of water
from the soil conserves soil
moisture, controls weeds,
regulates soil temperature and
add nutrients to the soil as well
as the mulch decays.
Mulching increase mungbean
yields by as much as 200 kg/ha
under lowland rainfed and
upland conditions.
 PRIMARY GRAIN
Mungbean
LEGUMES
Soybean Peanut
Crop Protection Mungbean has its share of The control of pests include the For weed control use of
diseases, weeds and insect following: herbicides and cultivation
pests. They occur at different
growth stages of the crop. Use of resistant varieties For insect pest control
use of biopesticides and
The control measures include:
Physical and Cultural control appropriate insecticides
thorough land preparation,
Use resistant varieties
hand weeding, and cultivation For disease control use
of resistant varieties,
cultural control
Chemical control the last planting disease-free seeds,
recourse in pest control. clean culture, chemical
crop rotation
control
Weeds can be controlled with
Intercropping
herbicides such as
Pendimethalin at 1.0 1.5 kg
manipulation of planting date
ai/ha and butachlor at 1 kg
ai/ha, 1-2 days after sowing as
biological control
pre-emergence control and
Bentazon at 1-2 kg ai/ha for
chemical control
early post-emergence control.
PRIMARY GRAIN LEGUMES
Mungbean
Harvesting Pods are harvested when these
turn brown or black and the
leaves start to turn yellow and
defoliate within 65-72 days
after planting. Harvesting is
done by priming or handpicking
of the mature pods.
Soybean
seeds are physiologically
mature when maximum dry
weight and seed viability are
attained. Soon after maturity
seed-crop is ready for harvest
when the pods have turned
brown and leaves have yellowed
and fallen-off.
At harvest time, seed moisture
is very high (20-25%) which
greatly influenced seed quality.
Seed moisture must be
reduced as quickly as possible
and maintained to preserve
high seed quality.
Highly shattering varieties are
ready for harvest when 90% of
the pods have turned yellow
and practically all the leaves
have defoliated or are shed.
Non-shattering varieties should
be harvested when all the pods
have dried.
Peanut
Harvest the crop when
plant wither or turned
yellow DRY SEASON)
Expected date of maturity
90-100 days after sowing
Most of the pods are hard
with darkened veins in the
inner portion of the shell,
kernels are plump and
pinkish
Premature harvesting have
shriveled and poor quality
beans
Delayed harvesting causes
rotting and germination of
seeds in the field
Pull plants and arrange in
windrows; pick pods
manually right after drying
and segregate mature from
immature ones
 PRIMARY GRAIN LEGUMES
Mungbean
Threshing Pods be threshed immediately
after harvest to avoid exposure
to bean mold. It should be
sundried before threshing.
Threshing may be done by
placing the dried pods on a
cemented floor and threshing
them by foot or beating a sack
about one-third full of dried
pods.
Soybean Peanut
1. Manual threshing This is
not recommended for seed
purposes for it incurs heavy
damage and this is good only
for small harvest. This is done
by placing he pods on the
cement floor or any hard
surface and then beating the
pods. An alternative method
is to fill a storage sack 1/3 full
of pods and beat the sack
gently with either a stick or as
flail.
2. Mechanical threshing
Control must be observed in
the revolution of the motor
per minute and the thresher
clearance to minimize seed
damages. It is advisable to
thresh the seeds at a moisture
range of 13-18% to minimize
damage. Rice and corn
threshers have been
acceptable for soybean.
PRIMARY GRAIN LEGUMES
Mungbean
Drying small volumes of produce, it is
most economical and
practical to sundry the seeds.
Seeds are spread evenly and
thinly on flat cemented floors
or on bamboo mats which are
turned over or stirred to
effect uniform drying until it
has 12% for safe storage that
takes 2-3 days of good sunny
weather.
For large scale or commercial
production, artificial heat is
employed such as in batch-
type drying using the flat bed
driers or continuous-flow
type-driers.
Soybean Peanut
Drying is intended to Dry immediate pods right after
remove excess moisture in harvest to prevent seed
seeds to ensure good deterioration.
quality.
Sundry unshelled pods 2-3 days
The moisture content of until the beans becomes loose
soybeans at harvest ranges within the pods.
from 20-26% and the level
of MC safe for storage is
12%. Shelling be done carefully to
The rate of drying should avoid damage of the
be considered because it cotyledons. It could be done by
affects the physiology of hand or portable shellers.
the seeds.
Drying at very high
temperature results in
seed injury, cracking or
case hardening. Growth of
molds and rapid loss of
vigor usually occur if the
seeds with high moisture
and temperature level are
dried slowly.
The safe drying
temperature for seed
purposes is 43 degree
Celsius and 49 degree
PRIMARY GRAIN LEGUMES
Mungbean
Storage Small quantities of seeds can
be stored in sacks.
Large scale production may
use bulk storage using
concrete silos.
For safe storage for about 6
months under room
temperature, the seeds must
have a 12% MC or lower.
For longer storage under
ambient condition, 10% MC or
lower is recommended.
Air conditioned storage may
also be employed to lengthen
seed storability.
Soybean Peanut
Seeds for storage should be Store unshelled peanuts;
dried to prevent insect hand shelled the pods before
infestation and mold growth. planting.
Molds as well as bacteria grow
well in moist and warm Viability of seeds is about 5
condition. months
The moisture content of MC of seeds for short term
seeds for safe storage depends storage = 12%
on the length of storage. For
a 6-months storage in an air- MC for sealed storage 6-8%
tight container under ambient
temperature, a 10% MC gives
about 85% germination. There
is 100% viability of seeds
stored with 8% moisture
content in 10 months.