Cover Crop Series: Mung Bean
Mung Beans are a short-season legume crop. They can mature in less than 60 days and, therefore, do not get very tall. They are heat- and drought-tolerant and grow on a variety of soils. Mung beans are typically grown for the seeds, which are marketed as bean sprouts for salad. Mung beans have been, and still are, occasionally grown as a crop in southwestern Oklahoma. Seed rate was 22 pounds per acre.
These plots were drill planted in 7.5 inch rows in a no-till seedbed on a Heiden clay soil May 15, 2017, at the Noble Research Institute Headquarters Farm in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Planting depth was about 1.5 inches. Seed was placed on top of soil moisture, and 2.33 inches of rain fell over the next three days. No fertilizers, insecticides or herbicides were applied to this crop. Rainfall was below average after establishment.
The Noble Research Institute is testing dozens of cover crop species with potential to help build soil health in the Southern Great Plains. This series features the cover crops we've grown on our Headquarters Farm in southern Oklahoma. These videos explore our results on establishment and growth, ground cover potential, and weed control for each crop.
