Effect of Maturity Stages on Seed Quality in Winged Bean [Psophocarpustetragonolobus (L.) DC.] – a Multipurpose Legume

Abstract

Winged bean being a multipurpose leguminous vegetable, has been less concentrated in research. Considering its huge potential as a protein-rich crop with soybean-equivalent nutrients, the present study aimed to find out the physiological maturity stage in winged bean cv. Revathy to obtain good quality of seeds for better planting value. The developing pods and seeds of various maturity stages were harvested from 5 days after anthesis (DAA) to 60 DAA at five days interval and determined the pod and seed characteristics. The results showed that pod length, pod weight (fresh and dry weight) increased steeply from 5 DAA to 30 DAA and the maximum pod length (18.4 cm), and attained pod fresh weight of 27.84 g/pod at 30 DAA. The physiological maturity of seeds were attained at 50 DAA with seed moisture content of 27.8% coincided with maximum dry weight of seed (32.47 g/100 seeds), seed protein content (34.7%) and maximum physiological qualities viz., speed of germination (4.1), germination per cent (88%), root length (17.5 cm), shoot length (15.7 cm), dry matter production (0.894 g/10 seedlings), vigor index I (2922) and vigor index II (72). The visual indices for physiological maturity was turning of pod to brown color and the seed to black group of RHS color chart (202 A) at 50 DAA.