Vigna angularis

Scientific name

Vigna angularis

Common name

Adzuki bean

Family

Fabaceae

Genome size (est.)

447.8 Mb

Chromosome number

22

Vigna angularis (adzuki bean) is an East Asian annual pulse domesticated from the wild V. angularis var. nipponensis; archaeobotanical remains across China, Korea, and Japan show human management by ∼5300–4800 cal BP, with earlier work proposing multiple East-Asian domestication centers, though a recent genome study points to a single domestication in Japan followed by introgression from Chinese wild lineages. Grown mainly in China, Japan, and Korea, adzuki is best known for sweet red-bean pastes/soups and other confectionery; seeds are valued for protein, fiber, minerals, and polyphenols, and the crop contributes nitrogen fixation in rotations. Agronomically, it shows moderate drought tolerance but is sensitive to waterlogging and chilling; typical farm yields range roughly 1–2.5 t ha⁻¹ depending on environment, and breeding emphasizes yield components (pods/plant, seeds/pod, 100-seed weight), seed-coat color, and flowering time.