Three mungbeam lines have been found suited to the agro-climatic conditions of the Ilocos Region.
Named EGM 93 289, EGM 93 293, and EGM 6173-B-15, the mongo lines were bred by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry-Los Baños National Crop Research and Development Center (DA-BPI-LBNCRDC) in Los Baños, Laguna.
Their adaptability to Ilocandia has been found in studies done by researchers of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU).
MMSU, currently headed by Dr. Miriam Pascua, president, is a multi-campus tertiary institution in Ilocos Norte whose seat of administration is the main campus in Batac City. DMMMSU, headed by Dr. Ernesto Gapasin, is a university in La Union whose main campus is in Sapilang, Bacnotan.
In their study, Fernando Sugui of MMSU and Velma Mangaser of DMMMSU evaluated the adaptability to Region I of the three high-yielding and pest-resistant EGM lines during the dry seasons from 2003 to 2006.
Results of the trials monitored by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) showed that the mungbeans yielded from 1,225 to 1,253 kilograms per hectare.
“These yields are 12 to 18 percent higher than those of the check varieties NSIC Mg 8 and NSIC Mg 11 which yielded from 1,062 to 1,098 kg/ha,” the MMSU and DMMMSU researchers noted, as reported by PCARRD’s Josefina Atienza.
Sugui and Mangaser observed that the big-seeded EGM lines matured in 62 to 63 days after planting with plant height of 56 to 61 centimenters.
They produced 12 pods per plant, with each pod containing 12 green to glossy green seeds of good quality.
The lines are resistant to beanfly, pod borers, and powdery mildew, and moderately resistant to rust and Cercospora leaf spot.
“It is best to plant these improved lines in February if irrigation is available,” advised the researchers. “Otherwise, it should be planted not later than Dec. 15 to avoid the outbreak of powdery mildew.”
The researchers further said that at a production cost of P15,000/ha and a yield of 1,000 kg of seeds per hectare valued at P40/kg, net income is as much as P25,000/ha. — Rudy A. Fernandez