Season and Field preparation

Soil

A well drained loamy soil with pH range of 5.5-6.0 with cool climate is suited for French bean cultivation.

Season

Hills: February –March

Plains: October- November

Seed rate

About 80 kg/ha for hills and 50 kg/ha for plains are required

Seed treatment

Treat the seeds with Trichoderma 4 g/kg or Thiram or Carbandazim @ 2 g/kg of seed 24 hours before sowing to control fungal diseases. If the crop is raised for the first time it should be treated with Rhizobium as in cluster beans.

Preparation of field

Hills: Dig the soil thoroughly and incorporate FYM and form beds of convenient size.

Plains: After two ploughing, form ridges and furrows.

Sowing

In hills, sow the seeds (2 seeds/hill) in lines or in beds at a spacing of 30 x 15 cm. In plains, sow the seeds (2 seeds/hill) in the sides of the ridges at a spacing of 45 x 30 cm.

Irrigation

Irrigation is done immediately after sowing and again on third day and thereafter once in a week.

Application of fertilizers

Apply FYM 25 t/ha during last ploughing. 90 kg of N and P 125 kg of P/ha should be applied on one side of the ridges. For rainfed conditions of Shevaroy hills, apply as a basal dose of 62.5 kg/ha of Phosphorous as super phosphate and with another half of 62.5 kg/ha Phosphorous as FYM enriched super phosphate.

After cultivation

Weeding should be given 20 – 25 days and 40 – 45 days after sowing. The crop should be earthed up after each weeding.

Plant protection

Aphids and thrips: Spray Methyl demeton 25 EC or Dimethoate 30 EC each at 1 ml/lit. In hills, glass house white fly occurs during May – August. Place 20 yellow sticky traps coated with castor oil in polythene sheet to attract the white flies.

Pod borer: Pod borer can be controlled by spraying Carbaryl 50 WP thrice at fortnightly intervals at the rate of 2 g/lit. Dust with Carbaryl 10 D at the rate of 2.5 kg/ha

Ash weevil: Spray phosalone 35 EC @ 1.5 ml/lit.

Whitefly: Place 20 yellow sticky traps coated with castor oil in polythene sheet to attract the white flies.