Yield Potential

Rice beans mature in 60-140 days, depending on the cultivar, latitude, time of sowing and ecological factors. In the Philippines, days to flowering average 64 and 92 days to maturity (Duke 1981).

Each vine of rice bean can give 3 – 4 kg. of seeds on average (Hao, N.T., et.al., 1997). Furthermore, although average seed yields are 200-300 kg/ha (Kay, 1979); high seed yields of up to 2,500 kg/ha can be achieved in experiments (Vieira, 1971). Grown for green fodder, average yields are 2,200-3,500 kg/ha of biomass (Kay, 1979). Grain yields of rice inter-cropped with rice bean were greatly reduced due to the suppressive effects of rice bean.

The rice bean has a great potential to alleviate protein malnutrition due to its high yield and adaptability to adverse agro-climatic conditions. The bean has protein and starch digestibilities comparable to other legumes and these are enhanced by processing and cooking treatments.