VL Bean 2
Also from ICAR-VPKAS Almora (2008), released with VL Rajma 125 — a similar option, for a second disease-resistance profile instead of one variety.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- ~82 days
- Seed rate
- General hill kidney-bean guidance suggests around 100–125 kg/ha — not confirmed as a VL Bean 2-specific figure
- Expected yield
- 14–15 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Resistant to root rot and anthracnose
- Release
- Released 2008 · ICAR-VPKAS, Almora — alongside VL Rajma 125, for the Uttarakhand hills
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
VL Bean 2 was released in 2008 by ICAR-VPKAS, Almora, along with VL Rajma 125, for the same Uttarakhand hill kharif belt. Little is published about it beyond that: there are no public figures for its seed size, pod traits or disease testing.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose VL Bean 2 if you farm the Uttarakhand or Himachal hills, want the crop out of the field in about 82 days, and root rot and anthracnose are the diseases that trouble you. It gives 14–15 q/ha. Choose VL Rajma 125 instead if you also want cover against angular leaf spot and rust, or a seed with a published size: its 100-seed weight is about 41.38 g, and VL Bean 2 has no published figure. Little is published about VL Bean 2, so sow a small plot first.
Sowing & cultivation
- Seed rateGeneral hill kidney-bean guidance suggests around 100–125 kg/ha — not confirmed as a VL Bean 2-specific figure
- SpacingGeneral hill kidney-bean guidance suggests row spacing around 45–60 cm with 10–15 cm between plants — a general figure, not confirmed variety-specific
- FertilizerGeneral hill kidney-bean guidance suggests around 40 kg N and 25 kg P per acre — a general figure, not variety-specific
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Well-drained loam
- pH
- Around pH 5.5–6, per general hill kidney-bean guidance
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Short ~82-day duration, matching VL Rajma 125, fits the compressed hill kharif window
- Resistant to root rot and anthracnose, a second disease profile next to VL Rajma 125's four-disease cover, so you can grow both and split the risk
Things to consider
- Very little is published about this variety. Beyond its release year and institute, there are no VL Bean 2 figures for seed size, pod count or exact agronomy. The seed rate, spacing and fertiliser figures above are general hill kidney-bean guidance, not VL Bean 2 figures, so try it on a small plot first.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttarakhand
- Himachal Pradesh
Run a corner trial beside VL Rajma 125
Very little is published about VL Bean 2, so the best proof is your own field. Sow one corner with VL Bean 2 and a matching corner with VL Rajma 125, on the same day, with the same spacing and the same fertiliser.
Write down four things: the day each one flowers, the day the pods dry, how many plants you lose to root rot, and whether leaf spots or rust show up. At harvest, weigh equal strips from both corners, not whole-field guesses.
VL Bean 2 should do well on root rot and anthracnose. VL Rajma 125 also covers angular leaf spot and rust. If the two come out close in your field, you now know you can grow both and split the risk.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Rajma (Kidney Bean) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber | A familiar bold, light-seeded rajma for the hills, chosen for the market that already knows it, not for a bred-in disease shield | 100–115 days | 10–13 q/ha | Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir |
| HUR-137 | The higher-yielding red of the HUR pair, with bold, dark-red seed for well-managed tarai fields | 100–110 days | 12–15 q/ha | Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh |
| HUR-15 | A red-seeded rajma for the Uttarakhand tarai, sown in the spring or pre-monsoon window, and the quickest red-seeded rajma of the lot | 95–105 days | 10–14 q/ha | Uttarakhand |
| PDR-14 (Uday) | The long-duration rajma with the highest published yield and a mosaic-virus tolerance, for Uttar Pradesh and Punjab | 125–130 days | ~30 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab |
| VL Bean 2this page | A quick 82-day hill rajma with root rot and anthracnose resistance, the simpler sibling of VL Rajma 125 | ~82 days | 14–15 q/ha | Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh |
| VL Rajma 125 | The hill rajma with the widest disease cover: four diseases and bold seed, in 82–85 days | 82–85 days | 14–15 q/ha | Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir |
| VL Rajma 63 | An earlier bush-type ICAR-VPKAS release for shorter-season hill pockets and mid-altitude fields | 100–110 days | 10–13 q/ha | Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Rajma (Kidney Bean) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Rajma (Kidney Bean) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Rajma (Kidney Bean) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Rajma (Kidney Bean) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Rajma (Kidney Bean) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Rajma (Kidney Bean) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Rajma (Kidney Bean) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
How is VL Bean 2 different from VL Rajma 125?
Both come from the same ICAR-VPKAS Almora hill breeding programme, released a year apart, with similar short duration and yield. The main difference is disease resistance: VL Rajma 125 carries a four-disease package (root rot, anthracnose, angular leaf spot, rust), while VL Bean 2 is resistant to root rot and anthracnose. Growing both gives a hill farmer two different resistance profiles.
Which diseases is VL Bean 2 resistant to, and which are left?
It is resistant to root rot and anthracnose. Angular leaf spot and rust are not listed for it, while VL Rajma 125 lists all four. If leaf spot or rust is common in your valley, VL Rajma 125 is the safer pick.
Why is so little written about VL Bean 2?
Beyond the release year (2008) and ICAR-VPKAS Almora, nothing is published on its seed size or pod traits. That is why the seed rate, spacing and fertiliser figures here are general hill guidance. Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra before you buy a large lot.
How much seed and what spacing for VL Bean 2?
General hill kidney-bean guidance is 100–125 kg of seed per hectare, with rows 45–60 cm apart and 10–15 cm between plants. These are general figures, not VL Bean 2 figures, so check them on a small plot.
How big is the seed of VL Bean 2?
No seed size is published for VL Bean 2. Its sibling VL Rajma 125 has bold seed of about 41.38 g per 100 seeds, but do not assume the same for VL Bean 2. If a buyer pays for bold grain, look at the seed from a trial plot and weigh 100 seeds yourself before you commit a large area.
Why sow a small plot of VL Bean 2 first?
Because very little is published about it. Beyond its release year and institute, there are no figures for seed size, pod count or exact agronomy, and the seed rate, spacing and fertiliser here are general hill kidney-bean guidance. A small plot lets you check days to maturity, disease and yield on your own land at little cost.
Sourced from: PPV&FR Authority — Compendium of Registered Varieties (up to October 2018). editorial policy.