Liumountain Fava Beans

Liumountain Fava Beans

Liumountain Fava Beans are a product with a Geographical Indication for Agricultural Products.

　　The Liumountain area enjoys abundant sunshine and soil rich in potassium, calcium, and trace elements, making it highly suitable for fava bean cultivation. The beans produced here are plump, large, nutrient-rich, free from insect damage, high-yielding, and of superior quality, making them highly favored by merchants in the market. The region is especially well-suited for fava bean production.

　　Geographic Scope

　　Liumountain Fava Beans are produced in 13 townships in Longde County, including Shatang Town, Shenlin Township, Liancai Town, Chengjiao Township, Chenjin Township, Shanhe Township, Wenbao Township, Haoshui Township, and Guanzhuang. Longde County is located in the western part of the Loess Plateau, at the western foot of the Liumountain Mountains, within the semi-humid to semi-arid transitional zone of the northwestern loess hilly region. Its geographical coordinates are between 105°48′-106°15′ east longitude and 35°21′-35°47′ north latitude. Most of the area has an elevation ranging between 1700-2500 meters. It administers 13 townships (towns), with a total population of 188,000, of which 171,000 are agricultural. The arable land area covers 43,000 hectares, and 36,000 farming households form the pollution-free fava bean production base. The production area is concentrated and contiguous, bordered by Zhangyi in Guyuan to the north, Jingning in Gansu to the west, Zhuanglang County in Gansu to the south, and extending along the Liumountain Mountain Range to the east. The production region spans 6,000 hectares, yielding an annual total of 14,700 tons.

　　Natural Ecological Environment and Humanistic-Historical Factors

　　(1) Soil and Topography: Longde County features three major types of landforms: stony mountainous soil, loess hilly terrain, and valley plains. The main soil types include black loam, gray calcareous soil, and yellow loamy soil, with pH values ranging between 7.89-8.36, indicating relatively fertile conditions. Longde County is a typical agricultural county located in the dry farming region of the loess plateau hilly area. The production area is free from pollution sources, enjoys good ambient air quality, a cool and moist climate, few disease-transmitting pests, and excellent natural isolation. The terrain is higher in the east and lower in the west, primarily composed of east-west oriented hills and small valleys.

　　(2) Hydrology: Longde County has seven major rivers and their tributaries running through it, including the Tangjia River, Shizilu River, Haoshui River, Yu River, Ganwei River, Zhuanglang River, and Shuoluo River. The county has 68 reservoirs with a total capacity of 9,523 m³. The water quality is good, with no human or industrial pollution, making it ideal for agricultural production and daily life.

　　use.

　　(3) Climate: Longde County experiences distinct seasons, long cold periods, concurrent rain and heat, and abundant sunshine. It lies in the transitional zone from temperate semi-humid to semi-arid, featuring characteristics of both continental and maritime monsoon edge climates. Spring is windy with an average wind speed of 3.8 m/s. The annual average temperature is 5.6°C, and the annual average rainfall is 540 mm, with a total annual precipitation of 1.984 billion m³. The average annual sunshine duration is 2,228.1 hours, with a total annual solar radiation of 116.8 kcal/cm². The average frost-free period is 110 days. During the fava bean growing season, Longde County benefits from ample sunlight, moderate rainfall, and significant diurnal temperature variation, providing suitable thermal conditions for the growth of Liumountain Fava Beans.

　　(4) Humanistic-Historical Factors: The cultivation of Liumountain Fava Beans began before the liberation and has a history of over 60 years. Leveraging local natural conditions, Liumountain Fava Beans have become a renowned specialty of the county. In 2006, Longde County’s fava beans were approved by the Ministry of Agriculture as a pollution-free agricultural product production base.

　　Production Technical Requirements

　　(1) Origin Selection: The 13 townships including Shatang Town, Shenlin Township, Liancai Town, Chengjiao Township, Chenjin Township, Shanhe Township, Wenbao Township, Haoshui Township, and Guanzhuang must have origin environmental quality that meets the requirements of the "Pollution-Free Vegetable Production Environment Conditions" (NT/5010-2002).

　　(2) Variety Selection: High-yield varieties that are officially approved and suitable for the growing season, with strong resistance, should be selected. Varieties are required to have a fat content of over 10% or protein content of over 40%, and single-variety production is mandated. Uncertified varieties and genetically modified fava bean varieties shall not be used.

　　(3) Production Process Management: The production process of Liumountain Fava Beans must comply with the "Pollution-Free Soybean Production Operation Procedures" (NY/T5210-2004).

　　(4) Product Harvesting and Post-Harvest Handling: Liumountain Fava Beans are ready for harvest when over 90% of the plant's leaves have turned yellow and the pods have become dark brown. Different varieties must be harvested, transported, threshed, stored, processed, and packaged separately to prevent mixing with common beans. When harvesting, the stubble should be low, generally 5-6 cm above the ground, ensuring no pods are left. After harvesting, care must be taken to avoid dropping branches or splitting pods, with a loss rate of less than 1%. The harvested crop should be sun-dried for 5-7 days before threshing. After threshing, manual winnowing or mechanical cleaning is performed. Grading and sieving must be uniformly carried out to remove impurities and shriveled beans, achieving uniform particle size, with a breakage rate of less than 2%, impurities below 1%, and insect damage under 1%. The cleaned seeds should be sun-dried for several days to reduce moisture content to below 15%.

　　(5) Production Record Requirements: The entire production process of Liumountain Fava Beans requires the establishment of field production records,

　　which must be comprehensively documented and properly preserved for future reference.

　　Typical Quality Characteristics and Product Quality Safety Standards

　　(1) External Sensory Characteristics: Liumountain Fava Beans have yellow seed coats with a glossy appearance, black hilums, and ovate-shaped grains.

　　(2) Internal Quality Indicators: Liumountain Fava Beans are rich in protein, fat, vitamins, trace elements, and crude fiber. The protein content reaches over 41%, and the fat content is 12%, with an absorption rate of 95%, predominantly unsaturated fats. Each 100 grams contains 8.8 grams of protein, 435 kilojoules of energy, 19.5 grams of carbohydrates, as well as various vitamins, amino acids, and trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Additionally, fava beans contain phospholipids, essential components of brain and nerve tissues, and are rich in choline, which has memory-enhancing and brain-boosting effects. The protein in fava beans can delay arteriosclerosis, while the crude fiber in the seed coat helps lower cholesterol and promote intestinal motility. Traditional medicine believes it can benefit qi, strengthen the spleen, eliminate dampness, and reduce swelling.

　　(3) Safety Requirements: Liumountain Fava Beans comply with the "Pollution-Free Soybean" (NY5310-2005) standards.

　　Packaging, Labeling, and Related Regulations

　　Liumountain Fava Beans are classified into special grade and first grade based on the plumpness of the grains. The packaging uses vegetable oil jute bags or woven bags. The packaging bags must indicate the product batch number and bear the Geographical Indication label “Liumountain Fava Beans.” Storage and transportation follow the "Green Food Storage and Transportation Guidelines" (NY/T1056-2006).