Follow us on our social media platforms
Underutilised legume research at CFF
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • BamYIELD
  • Biotechnology and Crop Genetics
  • Publications

Underutilised legume research at CFF

Crops For the Future (CFF) with local and international partners is carrying out multidisciplinary research to address the many challenges facing the uses of underutlised legumes in future agriculture. Bambara groundnut and winged bean are the first two exemplar underutilised legumes species currently under investigation at CFF via the BamYIELD research programme and Biotechnology and Crop Genetics Research Theme

To learn more about CFF, please click on the button below.

Crops For the Future

Underutilised legumes we currently work on

Picture

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.)

Picture

Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus)
​


Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.)

Common names: bambara beans (global), nyimo beans (Zimbabwe), jugo beans (South Africa), voandzou (Benin and other francophone countries), kacang poi (Malaysia) , kacang bogor (Indonesia), tu a rang / tu a met liau (Thailand)
Strengths  
  • Drought resistant                                      
  • Grows well in both semi arid and tropical environments 
  • Good adaptability
  • Seeds are nutritious
  • Nitrogen fixing legume
  • Tolerates poor and low pH soils 
Drawbacks 
  • Photoperiod sensitive for pod-filling 
  • Lack of commercial varieties
  • Limited markets
  • Few value added products
  • Lack of comparative data to other legumes
Opportunities                                                   
  • Food security
  • Income generation
  • End-user driven variety development
  • Human dietary diversification
  • Animal feed 

Winged Bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus)

Common names: kacang botol (Malaysia) , kacang belimbing/botor/kecipir (Indonesia), shikaku-mame (literally "square bean“; Japan), le foie carré (Mauritius) 
Strengths
  • Grows in hot and humid equatorial  countries and parts of Southeast Asia 
  • Nitrogen fixing legume 
  • Seeds are nutritious, with protein levels comparable to soybean 
  • Every part of the plant, (shoots, flowers, leaves, seed pods and seed) are edible
Drawbacks
  • Trellis support needed for pod growth
  • Vining and indeterminate growth habit
  • No mechanisation
  • Labour intensive harvest with limited shelf-life for fresh pods
Opportunities
  • Food security
  • Income generation
  • Human dietary diversification
  • Multiple product development using different parts of the plant
  • Partial replacement for soybean imports