Rice Bean - A Multipurpose, Underutilized, Potential Nutritive Fodder Legume - A Review

Rice bean (Vigna umbellata) is a neglected legume regarded as a minor food and fodder crop in Nepal and northern India, and grown in a range of cropping systems with maize during summer, as a sole crop in the uplands, on rice bunds or in home gardens. It is mainly grown for human consumption, though it is also used for fodder and green manure. There has been very little research or development support for this crop and farmers mainly grow landraces. There is relatively very less published literature on rice bean regarding its area coverage, production, productivity, utilisation and marketing. It is grown by subsistence farmers in a very limited scale and most of the produce is consumed at home although, there is a limited market for a short period each year. The crop contributes to household food security as several food items are prepared from rice bean and also it is culturally important and is thought to have important nutritional values. Rice bean foliage and dry straw are valuable livestock feed and when used as a green manure it improves soil fertility. Thus, rice bean is a vibrant potential fodder legume crop which has capacity to provide balance diet to the livestock and to sustain under wide range of climatic condition. But, there is need to focus on the crop for more popularity as a potential legume crop.