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Vigna aconitifolia
Also called Mat Bean, Dew Bean
Moth bean is a low-growing, drought-tolerant annual legume grown mainly in arid parts of India for its edible seeds, pods and sprouts. It thrives in hot, dry conditions with little water and can also serve as a pasture or soil-cover crop.
Vigna aconitifolia is a drought-resistant legume, commonly grown in arid and semi-arid regions of India. It is commonly called mat bean, moth bean, matki or dew bean.
Moth bean is a creeping annual herbaceous plant which grows to approximately 40 centimetres (16 in) high. Yellow flowers on its hairy and densely packed branches develop into yellow-brown pods, 2 to 3 inches in length. The beans of these pods contain approximately 22–24% protein.
Moth bean, a short-day crop, is one of the most drought-resistant pulses in India. Grown at altitudes up to 1300 m above sea level, it has a wide pH range (3.5–10) and can tolerate slight salinity. While dry sandy soil is most suitable for production, moth bean can tolerate a variety of soil types. The low-lying soil cover the crop creates helps prevent soil erosion by preventing moisture loss.
Optimum production of moth bean occurs between 24–32 °C, but has been shown to tolerate up to 45 °C during the day. Growth is optimal at a constant temperature. The moth bean is one of the most drought-resistant pulses in India, requiring little irrigation for production. While optimal annual rainfall for production is 500–750 mm, it is able to grow with 200–300 mm annually, and some yield has been noted at rainfall levels as low as 50–60 mm per year. Propagation of moth bean is done by seed, preferably on a prepared seedbed, at an optimal temperature of 25–27 °C. Fertilizer applications to moth bean are uncommon in India.
100g of raw, uncooked moth bean seeds contain 343 calories, 23 g of protein, 62 g of carbohydrate and 1.6 g of fat. As is the case with other legumes, this pulse does contain antinutritional factors that limit available protein. However, research has shown that the moth bean contains considerably less of these factors compared with other legume grains, making it a more beneficial choice for consumption. Soaking and cooking moth beans before consumption helps to break down antinutritional factors and makes the protein more digestible.
Adzuki bean · Hairypod cowpea · Black gram · Mung bean · Bambarra groundnut · Rice bean · Catjang · Asparagus bean · Black-eyed pea · Cowpea · Cowpea
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Vigna aconitifolia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
