Details for: PI 648441, Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet, 'RIO VERDE'

Rio Verde initiates flowering in late August (25 Aug. at Overton, TX, [32.27556 N, 94.97228 W]) with 50% bloom occurring about 1 Sept.; the earliest mature seed are produced by 15 Oct. In contrast, Rongai lablab is very late flowering and generally does not flower in central or northeast Texas before frost. Rio Verde seed range in color from black to mottled black and brown in contrast to Rongai seed which are a uniform pale brown with a prominent white hilum. Rio Verde seed are smaller (7000 7400 seed per kg) than Rongai (3600 4300 per kg). Rio Verde flowers are light lavender with the standard petal fading to white as the flower matures and opens. Rongai flowers are white. Rio Verde was evaluated at four Texas locations in 2004 and two Texas locations in 2005. Forage production of Rio Verde lablab was not different (P > 0.05) from Rongai in five of the six location-years and ranged from slightly more than 5.8 to 3.1 Mg ha-1 of dry forage at Overton in 2004 and Dallas in 2004, respectively. No differences (P > 0.05) were noted between Rio Verde and Rongai in leaf and stem protein percentage from two harvests at Overton in 2005. At the 8 Sept. and 25 Oct. harvests, leaf protein of Rio Verde was 260 and 320 g kg -1, respectively, and stem protein was 130 g kg -1 at both harvests. Seed production of Rio Verde lablab has been successful at Vernon, TX (34.14743 N, 99.30009 W) in 2003 and 2004; at Mason, TX (30.74925 N, 99.23209 W) in 2005 and Rotan, TX (32.85362 N, 100.46541 W) in 2006. Rio Verde is adapted to sandy, sandy loam, clay loam and clay upland soils of the US southern region. Lablab does well on a wide variety of well-drained soils but does not tolerate waterlogging . In northeast Texas the primary growing season for Rio Verde lablab is June through October. This cultivar will establish, survive and be productive with 25 cm of rain during this five month growing season.

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• Smith, G., F. M. Rouquette, Jr., & I. J. Pemberton. 2008. Registration of ‘Rio Verde’ Lablab. J. Pl. Registr. 2(1):015. DOI: 10.3198/jpr2007.03.0164crc. Number of accessions cited: 1

• Smith, G., F. M. Rouquette, Jr., & I. J. Pemberton. 2008. Registration of ‘Rio Verde’ Lablab. J. Pl. Registr. 2(1):015. DOI: 10.3198/jpr2007.03.0164crc.

U.S. Plant Variety Protection