Mucuna deeringiana

Velvet bean, Mauritius bean

Vigorous-growing annuals of a number of species and hybrids, usually as long vines (3-15 m), although bushy types also exist. Among the more important species are: Stizolobium deeringianum Bort. (Mucuna utilis, Woll.), or Florida or Deering velvet bean (with black pods); S. aterrimum Piper & Tracy, or Bengal bean, and S. cochinchinensis (Lour.) Burk, or Chinese velvet bean (both with white pods). Little difference in chemical composition between species. Grown mostly with maize, pearl millet, sorghum or Japanese cane for support.

Pasture. This is the most important use of velvet bean. Pigs should be allowed to graze the pasture after cattle to consume the beans that have been left behind. It is never well grazed by stock until it is well matured or frosted.

Hay. Velvet bean makes rather poor hay, especially if cut when mature, as the leaves easily fall off; also, the long vines are difficult to handle.

Silage. Good silage can be made from velvet bean together with its supporting crop. It usually turns black after a time, but without impairing its quality.

Pods. In making a concentrate for cattle it is more economical to grind the whole pods rather than to separate the pods and the seeds.

Seeds. Seed meal can be used in compound rations for all classes of livestock. Chickens tolerate up to 15% in the ration without a loss in productivity. Pigs should not be allowed to consume large amounts of velvet bean, either as forage, or seeds; usually they cannot tolerate mow than 25 % in the diet unless the seeds are cooked. The therapeutic component of velvet bean can be extracted with water and acetic acid.

As % of dry matter

DM

CP

CF

Ash

EE

NFE

Ca

P

Ref

Fresh aerial part,

3 months after

planting, Trinidad

19.6

15.3

36.2

12.2

1.5

34.8

117

Fresh aerial part,

9 months after

planting, Trinidad

24.2

16.5

40.5

8.3

1.6

33.1

"

Fresh, mid-bloom,

fertilized,

Puerto Rico

19.1

15.5

34.4

5.6

4.3

40.2

1.21

0.13

32

Hay, milk stage,

Zimbabwe

90.6

14.8

30.7

8.9

2.6

43.0

499

Pods, USA

21.0

15.6

4.5

2.6

56.3

15

Seeds, white

variety, Nigeria

94.7

27.4

6.5

4.0

1.1

61.0

374

Seeds, black

variety, Nigeria

94.2

28.6

9.5

4.0

0.7

57.2

"

Seeds, Tanzania

88.5

25.9

9.2

3.0

4.4

57.5

172

Pod husks, Tanzania

89.2

4.3

42.4

5.9

0.7

46.7

355

Digestibility (%)

Animal

CP

CF

EE

NFE

ME

Ref

Fresh, mid-bloom

Sheep

75.0

57.0

67.0

79.0

2.58

32

Hay, milk stage

Cattle

63.9

72.8

79.1

78.6

2.60

499

Seeds

Sheep

81.0

72.0

64.0

97.0

3.39

172

Amino acid composition as % of crude protein

Seed

Ref

92

Arg

Cys

Gly

Hys

Ils

Leu

Lys

Met

Phe

Thr

Try

Tyr

Val

7.9

0.9

4.6

2.1

4.8

7.6

6.2

1.2

4.8

4.0

-

5.1

5.5