The Potential of Jack Bean (Canavalia ensiformis L.) Developed in Suboptimal Soil to Succeeding Food Sufficiency

Abstract

The more population grows, the more the food demand required. In this case, soybean, due to the less production compared to rice. In order to support food self-sufficiency and soybean demands, tropical legumes are cultivated due to its nutritional content which is similar to soybean. The local Indonesian plant, jack bean has adaptive properties to sub-optimal land. It can adapt to various cultivation systems, high productivity, and similarity of nutritional content to soybean. It has quite unique adaptations which can grow its upright stems or grows vines, depends to the environment, and relatively shorter age than another type local bean plants. Jack bean seeds can be further processed into tempeh, powder, bakpia (Indonesian traditional sweet cake which using nuts for the filling), and various cakes as a substitute for soybean, mung bean, and wheat. Therefore, the jack bean plant has a great potential as food self-sufficient Indonesia’s program.