Evaluation of the U.S. Mothbean Collection for Seed Yield Potential in Virginia and Nutritional Composition of Freshly Harvested Seed.

Even though mothbean (Vigna aconitifolia), a drought- and heat-tolerant crop, may have potential in the eastern United States, information about its production in this region is not available. To characterize potential seed yields and preliminary nutritional quality, 54 accessions were grown near Petersburg, VA, during 2011, 2012, and 2013. The seed yields varied from 48 to 413 lb/acre. The mean concentrations of protein, calcium, iron, and zinc in mature mothbean seed were 21.9%, 0.17%, 64.8 ppm, and 37.5 ppm, respectively. These values compared well with those in mungbean (Vigna radiata) and tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius). The results demonstrated that mothbean has considerable potential as an alternative, new food legume crop in Virginia and eastern United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]