Uses
Rice
bean is
a multipurpose
crop,
which
can be
used as
food,
fodder,
green
manure,
and as
a cover
crop (Chatterjee,
1977).
The rice
bean has
a potential
as a protein-rich
pulse
for human
consumption,
soil improvement
and conservation,
as a fodder
for livestock
and as
a deterrent
against
soil erosion
if used
as a cover
crop.
It
has good
cooking
quality.
The seeds,
the primary
product,
are usually
eaten
in soups,
or as
a pulse
boiled
with or
without
rice.
The young
pods and
leaves
are used
as vegetable
(Purseglove,
1974).
After
picking
the mature
pods,
the plant
is utilized
as fodder.
If grown
primarily
for fodder,
it should
be harvested
when the
pods are
half developed,
since
the leaves
drop easily
as the
plant
reaches
maturity
(Kay,
1979).
The foliage,
green
pods,
immature
seeds,
and flowers
are all
easily
eaten
by animals.
 |
| Live
fence
and
fodder
bank
|
|
 |
| Live
barrier
against
weed
encroachment |
|
 |
| Rustic
crop
for
farm
boundaries |
|
 |
| Vegetative
cover
on
degraded
soil |
|
|
The
crop has
a tremendous
capacity
to smother
weeds
and generally
will not
allow
weeds
to come
up. In
Thailand’s
Organic
Farming
Demonstration
Project,
rice beans
have been
used to
control
and suppress
cogon
grasses
(sword
grass-
Imperata
cylindrica).
 |
Rice
bean
effectively
smothers
weeds |
|
 |
| Rice
bean
providing
good
soil
cover |
|
|
