Overview of Green Gram (Vigna radiata L.) Crop, Its Economic Importance, Ecological Requirements and Production Constraints in Kenya

Abstract

Green gram (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek), also known as mung bean, is an important grain legume containing a high amount of digestible protein, amino acids, sugar, minerals, soluble dietary fibers, and vitamins. In Kenya, green gram production is done mainly by smallholder farmers for food and sale. The crop is mainly grown in arid and semi-arid regions and plays important role towards achieving improved human nutrition and health conditions, reducing poverty through food security and enhancing ecosystem resilience as a source of human food, animal feed, soil nitrogen and soil health. Statistics show that though average area under production has been growing since 1978, average production has been fluctuating and consumption increasing steadily upholding constant deficit which is catered for through imports. The country’s average green gram yield ranges between 0.5-0.6 ton/ha compared to crop potential of 1.5 ton/ha and global average yield of 0.73 tons/ha. The production is mainly constrained by myriad of factors such as climate change effects, pest and disease prevalence, poor agronomic practices, land degradation and soil health decline. Other challenges included: lack of structured marketing systems and poor research- extension- farmer linkages, Possession of limiting climate smart agriculture knowledge and skills. Access to credit facilities and agro processing technologies as well as narrow post-harvest loss management knowledge and skills was also identified as other key green gram production constraints more so for small scale farmers. It was however noted that the country has potential to achieve optimal greengram production and optimal production require adoption of climate smart technologies, improved flow of information, streamlined government policies, credit facilities as well as structured market system. The current work reviews green gram crop, with emphasis on its biology, economic importance, ecological requirements, current production status in Kenya, production constraints and their management.