As the yard-long bean was a vegetable unknown to Croatia, the objects of the research for its production in the field and unheated greenhouses were the following: a cultivar with an earlier start and longer harvesting duration, optimum plant density, the kind and height of support, influence of lateral shoots pruning on harvest dynamics, man-hours for harvesting, possibility of storing in refrigerator and in selling outlets. Depending on the cultivar and growing method, the yield of pods ranged from 0.93 to 2.84 kg/m 2 in unheated plastichouse, with the harvesting time of 59 to 80 days, and 0.70 to 1.77 kg/m 2 in the field, with the harvesting time of 55 to 69 days. Depending on the cultivar and the place of growing, a 27% to 55% pod yield was obtained in the first three harvest weeks. Most harvested pods (35-46%) were in the length category of 30 to 40 cm. Pruning of lateral shoots was not justified - it showed a yield decrease of 15% to 35%. Increase of the height support from 1.6 to 2.0 m doubled the pod yield. There was no significant difference in pod yield when either a plastic net or plastic cord winding, wound around each individual plant, was used as support. Depending on the place and method of growing, the harvesting of one kilogram of pods took 13 to 24 minutes. At higher air temperatures pods are of a low keeping quality. After only three days of storage in paper bags at room temperature (20 to 25°C), the loss of water amounted to 15-19%, and to 7-13% in the refrigerator (8 to 10°C).

yard-long bean (Vigna sesquipedalis (L.) Verdc.); cultivar; pruning of lateral shoots; plant support; harvest man-hours required; storage; yield

Published by University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagreb, CROATIA
Sponsored by Ministry Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia