[8] According to the British biologist and taxonomist Bernard Verdcourt,[9] The plant is variable due to extensive breeding in cultivation, but in general, they are annual or short-lived perennial vines.

[13] The lablab bean remains most widespread in tropical and subtropical areas, particularly in eastern and southern Africa and India.

There, the legume is grown primarily for food and fodder,[14] but its cultivation has declined sharply in many regions of Africa, despite renewed interest in its soil-improving functions in multiple cropping systems.

[21] Average daily temperatures of 18-30°C and annual rainfall of 700-3000 mm allow lablab cultivation.

As there is a high degree of variability in phenotypes, including relative maturity, yield, susceptibility to insect attack and drought resistance, cultivation can vary accordingly depending on the accession and environmental factors[22] However, when lablab is first planted in a field, it is beneficial to inoculate the seeds with specialised rhizobium bacteria.

[23][24] It is generally accepted that harvesting fodder crops at the transition between the vegetative and reproductive stages gives the best compromise between yield and quality, as after this stage they become higher in fibre and lignin content and lower in protein content, leading to reduced digestibility and acceptability to livestock.

[25] When lablab is stored as hay, the main challenge is the loss of dry matter from the leaves.

[27][28] These soil-improving properties make lablab attractive for intercropping, mixed cropping systems and as a green manure.

[29][30] Researchers suggest that the wide diversity of lablab germplasm has great potential for advancing the species as a promising alternative crop through selection and breeding.

[31] Currently, most of the traditional cultivars grown have indeterminate growth habit, which has allowed farmers to harvest plants continuously.As such varieties aren't useful in the context of modern industrial farming, there has been a push to breed varieties that develop their seeds simultaneously, allowing all the beans to be collected in a single harvest.

Signs of poisoning include weakness, vomiting, shortness of breath, twitching, stupor, and convulsions.

[citation needed] In Karnataka, the hyacinth bean is made into curry (avarekalu saaru) (Kannada: ಅವರೆಕಾಳು ಸಾರು), salad (avarekaalu usli), added to upma (avrekaalu uppittu), and as a flavoring to Akki rotti.

[citation needed] In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the bean pods are cut into small pieces and cooked as a spicy curry in the Pongal festival season.

Sometimes the outer peel of the seed when tender and soaked overnight is removed and the inner soft part is used for a variety of dishes.

[citation needed] In Myanmar, lablab beans are used to make a braised Burmese curry hnat (ပဲကြီးနှပ်).

They are usually dried and baked before being used in traditional Chinese herbal remedies to strengthen the spleen, reduce heat and dampness, and promote appetite.

[15] Beans are boiled and mashed with ripe and/or semi-ripe bananas, giving the dish a sweet taste.

[19] Taiwanese research found that a carbohydrate-binding protein (i.e. a legume lectin) from lablab beans effectively blocks the infections of influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2.