The French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a popular legume vegetable grown for its soft green pods, which can be eaten fresh or processed. The pods can be green, yellow, red, or purple depending on the cultivar. It is eaten as a vegetable and as dried beans or green beans in their fresh condition. It was induced to India from Europe in the 17th century. It is full of nutrients and a low-cost source of protein. Dried cooked seeds are a popular way to eat dry beans.
The following are the key high-yielding French bean varieties released at IIHR, Bengaluru, along with their characteristics:
Arka Arjun
Bushy, robust, and photo-insensitive plants. Green pods with a smooth surface and no strings. It's appropriate for both rabi and summer. Resistant to Mung bean yellow mosaic virus (MYMV) Disease. The Yield for this varieties is 17t/ha in 70 Days.
Arka Anoop
Plants are bushy and photo-insensitive (Arka Bold x Arka Komal). Resistance to both rust and bacterial blight disease. Long, flat, and straight pods. The Yield for this varieties is 20t/ha in 70-75 Days.
Arka Bold
Photo insensitive and bushy plants. Pods Flat stringless, fleshy, crisp, Extra big (16cm) and medium in length and also resistant to rust disease. The Yield for this varieties is 15t/ha in 70 Days.
Arka Komal
Bushy, photo-insensitive plants. Both rust and bacterial blight resistance. Long, flat, and straight pods. The Yield for this varieties is 20t/ha in 70-75 Days.
Arka Sharath
It has round, stringless, smooth pods suitable for steamed beans. Pods are crisp, fleshy with no parchment, and perfectly round on cross-section. Plants are bushy and photo insensitive and it is suitable for both rabi and Kharif seasons. It gives a maximum number of pods per plant (44.5) compared to checks. The Yield for this varieties is 18.5t/ha in 70 Days.
Arka Suvidha
Pedigree selection from the cross Blue Crop x Contender. Resistant to rust Plants are bushy and photo insensitive. Pods straight, oval, light green, fleshy, stringless, and crisp. The yield for this variety is 19t/ha in 70 Days.
Arka Sukomal (New Release)
High-yielding rust-resistant pole bean variety. Plants are indeterminate and grow more than 2.0m in height. Variety takes 60 days for the first harvest. Pods are stringless, oval, green, and long (23 cm). Ten pod weight: 87 g. Suitable for both Kharif & rabi seasons. The yield for this variety is 24t/ha in 100 Days.
Arka Sampoorna
Pods are medium long, light green colored. Seeds are medium bold, light green and sweet. Resistant to rust and powdery mildew. Developed by the Pedigree method of selection from F7 generation involving (Bonneville X IIHR 209) X (Freezer 656 X Oregon Sugar). The yield for this variety is 8t/ha in 90 Days.
Arka Karthik
It is a mid-season variety, pods are medium long, green colored. Seeds are medium bold, green and sweet. Resistant to rust and powdery mildew. Developed by the Pedigree method of selection from F7 generation involving (Arka Ajit X IIHR 554). The yield for this variety is 11t/ha in 90 Days.
