Phaseolus vulgaris

Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, is a herbaceous annual plant. Its botanical classification, along with other Phaseolus species, is as a member of the legume family, Fabaceae. It forms a green-leaved vine which produces beans inside of pods. The common bean has a long history of cultivation. All wild members of the species have a climbing habit, but many cultivars are classified either as bush beans or climbing beans, depending on their style of growth. In 2022, 28 million tonnes of dry common beans were produced worldwide, led by India with 23% of the total. Raw dry beans contain the toxic compound phytohaemagglutinin, which can be deactivated by boiling the beans for 30 minutes. In addition to the beans, the unripe green pods are used for food. The leaf is occasionally used as a vegetable and the straw as fodder.

Description

This bean has very many varieties and varies a lot in details. Both short and climbing cultivated varieties of this bean occur. It has a long taproot. Climbing forms can be 2-3 m tall. Bush types are 20-60 cm tall. The leaves are carried one after another along the stem and the leaves have 3 leaflets. The leaf stalk has a groove on the top. The side leaflets are asymmetrical in shape. The leaflets can be 8-15 cm by 5-10 cm. The flowers are in the axils of leaves and have few flowers in a loose form. Flowers are white to purple and pods smooth. Pods are slender and 8-20 cm long by 1-1.5 cm wide. The pods are straight or slightly curved and with a beak at the end. Pods often have 10-12 seeds which are kidney shaped and coloured. There are more than 500 cultivated varieties.

Edible Uses

Immature green seedpods can be eaten raw or cooked — they have a mild flavour and should only be cooked briefly. For a continued supply of pods, pick them while still small and tender, as flowering slows once seeds begin forming inside the pods. Immature seeds are boiled or steamed and used as a vegetable. Mature seeds are dried and stored; they must be thoroughly cooked before eating and are best soaked in water for about 12 hours first. They can be boiled, baked, pureed, ground into a powder, or fermented into tempeh. The powdered seed works as a protein-enriching additive to flour and can also be used in soups. Seeds can be sprouted and used in salads or cooked. Roasted seeds have been used as a coffee substitute. Very young leaves can be eaten raw as a salad; older leaves are cooked as a potherb. Nutritional composition of leaves per 100g fresh weight: 36 calories; water 86.8%; protein 3.6g; fat 0.4g; carbohydrate 6.6g; fibre 2.8g; ash 2.6g; calcium 2.74mg; phosphorus 75mg; iron 9.2mg; vitamin A 3230mg; thiamine (B1) 0.18mg; riboflavin (B2) 0.06mg; niacin 1.3mg; vitamin C 110mg.

Traditional Uses

The young pods, leaves and mature seeds are edible. The pods are eaten raw in salads and also boiled, steamed, marinated and pickled. The young seeds are boiled and served as a vegetable. The dry seeds are soaked in water and boiled until soft. They are also baked and used in soups, dips, casseroles and salads. The flowers are sauteed and added to dishes. Sprouted seeds are also eaten. The leaves are used for sarma in Turkey. They are rolled around a filling of rice or minced meat.

Medicinal Uses

The green pods are mildly diuretic and contain a substance that lowers blood sugar levels; dried mature pods are also reported to be used in the treatment of diabetes. The seed is diuretic, hypoglycaemic, and hypotensive. Ground into flour, it is applied externally to treat ulcers. The seed is also used in the treatment of cancer of the blood. When bruised and boiled with garlic, the seeds have been used to treat persistent coughs. The root is dangerously narcotic. A homeopathic remedy made from the entire fresh herb is used to treat rheumatism, arthritis, and disorders of the urinary tract.

Known Hazards

The toxic compound phytohaemagglutinin, a lectin, is present in many common bean varieties but is especially concentrated in red kidney beans. White kidney beans contain about a third as much phytohaemagglutinin as the red variety; broad beans (Vicia faba) contain 5–10% of the amount that red kidney beans contain. Phytohaemagglutinin can be inactivated by a two-step process. The United States Food and Drug Administration recommends soaking the dry beans for at least five hours in water, which should then be discarded; this first step is largely for reducing indigestible carbohydrates. Then boiling the hydrated (wet, soft) beans for 30 minutes to ensure they reach a sufficient temperature for long enough to destroy the toxin completely. Outbreaks of poisoning have been associated with cooking kidney beans in slow cookers at 80 °C/176 °F, which is insufficient to deactivate all toxins. The primary symptoms of phytohaemagglutinin poisoning are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Onset is from one to three hours after consumption of improperly prepared beans, and symptoms typically resolve within a few hours. Consumption of as few as four or five raw, soaked kidney beans can cause symptoms. Canned red kidney beans are safe to use immediately, as they have already been cooked. Beans are high in purines, which are metabolized to uric acid. Uric acid is not a toxin but may promote the development or exacerbation of gout. However, more recent research has questioned this association, finding that moderate intake of purine-rich foods is not associated with an increased risk of gout.

Distribution

A temperate plant. It mostly grows from 700 m to 2000 m altitude in the tropics. In the lowlands it suffers from pest and disease but it can be grown to sea level. It is not suited to the wet tropics. It is shallow rooted and therefore damaged by excess moisture near the roots. About 350 mm of water is enough for a crop life cycle. It is sensitive to frost and to high temperatures. Flowers will not form below 9.5°C and night temperatures above 37°C cause flowers to drop. The best temperature is 15-21°C. It does not suit very acid soils. In Nepal it grows up to 1200 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 8-11.

Where It Grows

Afghanistan, Africa, Albania, Andes, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Austria, Balkans, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bougainville, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Caribbean, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Central Asia, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo DR, Congo R, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Easter Island, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Europe, Fiji, France, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guam, Guatemala, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Liberia, Macedonia, Malawi, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Marianas, Marquesas, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Romania, Rotuma, Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Seychelles, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Sikkim, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Turkey, Türkiye, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. Seed should preferably be planted on raised beds. Climbing types need stakes. Plants are self fertilised. Seeds remain viable for 2 years. Germination is normally good if seed have been well stored. In many places these beans are inter-cropped with other plants. If they are grown on their own, bush types can be spaced at 25 cm by 25 cm. Or they can be put closer together in rows wider apart to make weeding and harvesting easier. For dried beans, once the pods are mature and turning yellow, the whole plants are pulled, then dried and threshed. About 50-75 kg of seed will sow a hectare. Most French bean varieties are daylength neutral so day length does not affect flowering.

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and sow in mid-spring in a greenhouse. Germination should occur within 10 days. Prick seedlings out into individual pots when large enough to handle, and plant out after the last expected frosts. Seed can also be sown in situ in late spring, though it may not ripen in a cool summer.

Other Uses

A brown dye is obtained from red kidney beans. The plant contains phaseolin, which has fungicidal activity. Water from cooking the beans is effective at reviving woollen fabrics. The plant residue left after harvesting dried beans can be used as a source of biomass.

Production

Dwarf kinds take 6-8 weeks to mature and climbing types take 10-12 weeks. Picking starts 2 weeks after flowering. Yields of dried beans of 1,200 kg per hectare are possible. Dried leaves can be stored for later use.

Other Information

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. Of considerable importance at high altitude locations in the tropics.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Affi, Alatram, Asare simi, Ashlan bu'ul, Babri, Bakia, Bakla, Barigalu, Binisi, Black beans, Bonchi, Bo-sa-pe, Buli, Cannellini bean, Chiclayo, Ebihimba, Ebijanjaalo, Ebikanga, Ebisobooza, Ebisobyo, Ejote, Fagiolo, Fasiole, Feijao-preto, Frash bean, French bean, Frijol, Green bean, Habi cheulas, Haricot bean, Hto-pe-ton, Ingem mame, Ingen mame, Judia, Kacang buncis, Kachang bunchis, Kachang pendek, Kidney bean, Lobia, Mahalagi, Makasikila, Malemba, Marakwa, Mattu wanyambi, Mete-beir, Mulu fintsumu, Navy bean, Ngaingai, Ngor, Noviya, Nyemba, Phanasi, Pini, Pinto beans, Poroto, Po to sa, Pra-say-taut, Purutu, Rajama, Rajmah, Rajma sibi, Sanndaek barang, Shravanghevda, Snijboon, Stapu, Ta-la-pe, Te bin, Teiko, Thia khaek, Tingalavari, To-tok, Tsai douk, Tsaramaso, Turtle bean, Wamolo

References (111)

• Acharya, K. P., Paudel, P. K., 2020, Biodiversity in Karnali Province: Current Status and Conservation. Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment, Karnali Province Government, Surkhet, Nepal. p 31
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 445
• Anderson, E. F., 1993, Plants and people of the Golden Triangle. Dioscorides Press. p 217
• Baa-Poku, F. & Asante, I. K., 2020, Use of Neglected and Underutilized Crop Species (NUCS) in some farming communities in the Upper Afram and Upper Dayi River Basins in Ghana. International Journal of Technology and Management Research 5 (2): 48-63
• Barfod, A. S. & Kvist, L. P., 1996, Comparative Ethnobotanical Studies of the Amerindian Groups in Coastal Ecuador. Biologiske Skrifter 46. Copenhagen. p 76

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