Lady’s Finger – Health Benefits and Varieties in India

The lady’s finger is a tender heat-loving vegetable growing to 4 – 7 feet tall. The plant produces green, and also, you can get red seed pods that  can cut back to 3 to 5 inches long and sometimes longer. The lady’s finger is an important vegetable crop of many African countries, including Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia, Nigeria etc.

It is also known as “Okra“, and in most other places, people sometimes refer to it as “Gumbo”. Farmers growing lady’s fingers for profit do so to meet the demands of both domestic and foreign markets.

When you start any plant to sow, you need to know the various most essential sections that would be helpful in profitable business cultivation. You should also know which are more trustworthy tractors in lady’s finger  cultivation. You can use the Swaraj 855 tractor and any other that is helpful in the complete procedure of farming.

What are the health benefits of a lady’s finger?

1. Lady’s finger helps to control Appetite

Lady’s finger contains soluble fibre that makes you strong and full faster. In addition, it controls appetite and keeps your caloric intake in check. As a result, achieving your weight loss goals becomes possible.

2. It contains core nutrients that can curb malnutrition

Elimination of malnutrition becomes possible with a lady’s finger as the legume provides protein fibre, iron, zinc and calcium, essential nutrients for the body.

3. Lady’s finger seeds contain antioxidants that can delay fatiguing

Polyphenols and Flavonoids in lady’s finger seeds promote glycogen storage in the liver. As more glycogen (body fuel) is store in the body, we will not get tired quickly.

4. Lady’s finger helps to improve eyesight

lady’s finger contains vitamin A and beta-carotene, which are important nutrients for maintaining good eyesight. These nutrients are also known to protect against age-related eye disorders and prevent eye-related diseases.

5. Lady’s finger Provides Calcium and Magnesium for the Body

According to research, a lady’s finger is a rich source of calcium and magnesium. As a result, eating a lady’s finger helps curb both magnesium and calcium deficiency.

6. Prevents Bleeding and Osteoporosis Disorders

Lady’s finger contains adequate vitamin K which promotes quick blood clotting due to injury or bleeding spurting. It also aids in strengthening the bones and prevents osteoporosis (a disease of the bone).

7. It helps to improve heart health and control cholesterol levels

Lady’s finger aids in the degradation of cholesterol as it contains soluble fibre and prevents obesity in the body. A lady’s finger can prevent blockage of arteries, therefore, protecting us from heart diseases.

8. Lady’s finger Contains a Lectin that kills Breast Cancer Cells

Lectin derived from a lady’s finger causes cell suicide in breast cancer cells. One study said that the growth of cancer cells was stopped by about 63% when you eat lady’s finger.

Recommended Lady’s finger Varieties/Species

1. Emerald Variety

Emerald is a spineless variety of lady’s fingers, with a smooth rounded pod shape and semi-cute leaf. It needs about 58 to 60 days to mature. The emerald variety is good for processing and also good for canning.

2. Louisiana Green Velvet Variety

This lady’s finger species is known to retain seeds when bitten. Like the Emerald variety, this lady’s finger variety has a round pod shape and takes about 56 – 59 days to ripen.

3. Clemson Spineless Variety

As the name implies, Clemson is spineless and gives a heavy yield. It contains an angular shaped pod and takes approximately 55-58 days to mature for harvest before being supplied fresh in the market. However, this species is recommended for commercial lady’s finger cultivation due to its abundant yield.

4. Dwarf Green Long Pod Variety

The plant has several side branches and also a star-shaped pod. If you’re growing lady’s fingers for profit, this is a good variety.

5. Hastings Improved Perkins Variety

This variety has deeply cut leaves and also a star-shaped pod. Its maturity period is between 49-53 days.

6. Prelude Variety

It is an open-pollinated, spineless variety with glossy, dark green, leguminous pods. The Prelude lady’s finger variety requires 50 to 55 days to reach maturity and generally yields better than the Clemson spineless variety. Farmers can harvest lady’s finger when the pods are 1/2 to 3/4 inch longer than other varieties and remain tender.

7. Lee Variety

It is a semi-dwarf, spineless variety with straight dark bright green, angular pods, and also requiring 55 – 58 days to reach maturity.

8. Annie Oakley (Hybrid) Variety

This is a spineless variety with star-shaped pods, bright green, requiring 53 to 55 days to reach maturity.

9. UGA Red Variety

This variety produces beautiful red pods and is therefore used as an ornamental plant or grown in the home garden.

Note:- Lady’s finger is a very important and economical vegetable. This vegetable farming is very profitable in India. Therefore, farmers should know what equipment they use for the cultivation process. However, every equipment is necessary, such as cultivation, rotavator, harvester, tractor all are helpful in lady’s finger farming. But tractor plays the main role in every farming in India. So you can choose the Mahindra 575 or any other tractor for this lady’s finger farming.

For more information regarding the health benefits of vegetables and varieties, stay tuned with us.