Peruvian Popping Beans

lakelady · February 10, 2013

I've heard a little about these beans and thought it would be fun to grow some for "popping" like corn. However, what I am reading is that they are not available anywhere in the US due to some patent issue. With all of the seed savers we've got, I just find it hard to believe no one has any popping beans?

Maybe I'm just not searching correctly, but if someone can point me to the right website, that would be great, thanks!

habitat_gardener · February 10, 2013

I read about popbeans in Carol Deppe's book The Resilient Gardener. The specific one she mentions is a garbanzo, Hannan Popbean. She writes that she discussed the selection process in her previous book (on breeding veg varieties), and that she expected to release Hannan Popbean in fall 2010 at Fertile Valley Seeds. But the website hasn't been updated so you'll have to email her.
http://www.caroldeppe.com/fertileval.../fvsindex.html

added: I see that nunas are an entirely different kind of bean and require short daylength. It's astounding that they're available only in the Andes!
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1398&page=177

Zeedman · February 12, 2013

Popping beans (Nunas) are Phaseolus vulgaris, just like common beans... but yes, they are short-day plants. In most of the Temperate Zone, that means they don't flower until the equinox, around mid-September. That's too close to frost for most of us to get seed. I've grown a few legumes here that were daylength sensitive, such as rice bean, hyacinth bean, and some tropical yardlongs... they got luxurious growth, flowered late, even gave me a few immature pods to sample, but get no ripe beans.

There were (and probably still are) breeding projects to develop day-neutral Nunas, and there are already cultivars out there... but they are all patented, and heavily controlled. From what I've read, they are tied up in litigation over indigenous property rights. I know someone who grows them, but the Material Transfer Agreement prohibits them from sharing seed.

Pretty sad, when a product of conventional breeding - developed in a Land Grant institution, supported by our tax dollars - is as tightly controlled as a GMO. Especially when so many gardeners would be interested in them, were they to be made available. I wonder if they ever will be???

Fusion_power · February 12, 2013

Jim Myers at OSU has several lines of bush beans with the Nuña traits. I've grown them for about 6 years now after signing an MTA that I would not share the beans. Long story short, the patent is probably breakable based on pre-existing art, but nobody has an incentive to challenge it in court.

DarJones

Crandrew · February 12, 2013

Open Source Seeds?

lakelady · February 19, 2013

it just seems so silly to me that if these are beans that have been growing for probably hundreds of years in South America, we can't get them here because of these patents and controls. Maybe they would not grow here, but it would be fun to try at least. Wish I knew someone from Peru. I used to actually, about 20 years ago, but that won't help me now.

I just thought it would be a really neat "snack food" full of protein that could be great for the boys (and myself of course). oh well.

Darren Abbey · February 20, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by lakelady

I just thought it would be a really neat "snack food" full of protein that could be great for the boys (and myself of course). oh well.

This is exactly why some 'inventor' patented them. The 'invention' has been tied up in international legal disputes ever since then, since the proper rights-holders (Peruvian Indigenes & organizations) didn't exactly like their potential new trade crop (to US snack consumers) getting patented by someone else.

lakelady · February 20, 2013

ah ha, now it all makes sense! thanks

janezee · February 21, 2013

Funny, I just got this yesterday from Carol, before I saw this thread.

j

Quote:

‘HANNAN POPBEAN’ (garbanzo a.k.a. chickpea; Cicer arietinum) Plant mid-March through April. Photoperiod sensitive. Later plantings give flowering on tiny plants, thus produce few seeds. Seedlings are freeze-hardy. Plant at or thin to 8 inches. Needs no irrigation in the maritime Northwest. Harvest when plants are dry, usually late July to early August. I don't recommend this variety for regions where the ground is frozen into April. Selected for production under organic conditions in Willamette Valley Oregon, hotbed of aphid-spread pea diseases. Highly resistant to soil borne diseases including Fusarium and to aphid-borne diseases. Use as a regular garbanzo or as a popbean. Bred by Carol Deppe. About 100 seeds – $5.

Carol Deppe/Fertile Valley Seeds 2013 SEED LIST
(To be on the mailing list for my email seed list email your request to
resilientgardener@comcast.net .)

Zeedman · February 21, 2013

It would be interesting to know how different "Hannan" is from the brown-seeded PI 374085 ("Brown Popping") Carol mentioned in her previous book. I've grow that one for years; the description of the growth habit for "Hannan" matches what I've observed from "Brown Popping". At least now I know why the bushes were so short last year; I direct seeded late, as opposed to starting early as transplants. Garbanzos are poorly adapted to my climate anyway... I get enough to share seed, but not enough to eat in any quantity.

June 23, 2014

I asked about them in Ecuador, but no one I asked knew about them.

February 10, 2013	#1
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	Peruvian Popping Beans I've heard a little about these beans and thought it would be fun to grow some for "popping" like corn. However, what I am reading is that they are not available anywhere in the US due to some patent issue. With all of the seed savers we've got, I just find it hard to believe no one has any popping beans? Maybe I'm just not searching correctly, but if someone can point me to the right website, that would be great, thanks! __________________ Antoniette

February 10, 2013	#2
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	I read about popbeans in Carol Deppe's book The Resilient Gardener. The specific one she mentions is a garbanzo, Hannan Popbean. She writes that she discussed the selection process in her previous book (on breeding veg varieties), and that she expected to release Hannan Popbean in fall 2010 at Fertile Valley Seeds. But the website hasn't been updated so you'll have to email her. http://www.caroldeppe.com/fertileval.../fvsindex.html added: I see that nunas are an entirely different kind of bean and require short daylength. It's astounding that they're available only in the Andes! http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1398&page=177 Last edited by habitat_gardener; February 10, 2013 at 11:59 PM.

February 19, 2013	#6
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	it just seems so silly to me that if these are beans that have been growing for probably hundreds of years in South America, we can't get them here because of these patents and controls. Maybe they would not grow here, but it would be fun to try at least. Wish I knew someone from Peru. I used to actually, about 20 years ago, but that won't help me now. I just thought it would be a really neat "snack food" full of protein that could be great for the boys (and myself of course). oh well. __________________ Antoniette

February 20, 2013	#8
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	ah ha, now it all makes sense! thanks __________________ Antoniette

February 12, 2013	#3
Zeedman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 313	Popping beans (Nunas) are Phaseolus vulgaris, just like common beans... but yes, they are short-day plants. In most of the Temperate Zone, that means they don't flower until the equinox, around mid-September. That's too close to frost for most of us to get seed. I've grown a few legumes here that were daylength sensitive, such as rice bean, hyacinth bean, and some tropical yardlongs... they got luxurious growth, flowered late, even gave me a few immature pods to sample, but get no ripe beans. There were (and probably still are) breeding projects to develop day-neutral Nunas, and there are already cultivars out there... but they are all patented, and heavily controlled. From what I've read, they are tied up in litigation over indigenous property rights. I know someone who grows them, but the Material Transfer Agreement prohibits them from sharing seed. Pretty sad, when a product of conventional breeding - developed in a Land Grant institution, supported by our tax dollars - is as tightly controlled as a GMO. Especially when so many gardeners would be interested in them, were they to be made available. I wonder if they ever will be???

February 12, 2013	#4
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	Jim Myers at OSU has several lines of bush beans with the Nuña traits. I've grown them for about 6 years now after signing an MTA that I would not share the beans. Long story short, the patent is probably breakable based on pre-existing art, but nobody has an incentive to challenge it in court. DarJones

February 12, 2013	#5
Crandrew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: asdf Posts: 1,202	Open Source Seeds?

February 21, 2013	#10
Zeedman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 313	It would be interesting to know how different "Hannan" is from the brown-seeded PI 374085 ("Brown Popping") Carol mentioned in her previous book. I've grow that one for years; the description of the growth habit for "Hannan" matches what I've observed from "Brown Popping". At least now I know why the bushes were so short last year; I direct seeded late, as opposed to starting early as transplants. Garbanzos are poorly adapted to my climate anyway... I get enough to share seed, but not enough to eat in any quantity.

June 23, 2014	#11
LDiane Guest Posts: n/a	I asked about them in Ecuador, but no one I asked knew about them.