BEANS

Beans are a useful protein crop with no nitrogen requirement and fixing nitrogen in the soil for the following crop. Beans also act as a break crop between cereals. Beans can be combined or crimped and used to offset purchased protein on farm.

Rotation

Like all legumes, beans should not be grown more than once in every five years as this avoids the potential issues with soil borne nematode. Populations of this pest will increase with closer rotations.

Sowing

Beans benefit from good drainage so action should be taken to minimise compaction and any potential water logging in fields. Beans do not require a fine seedbed and can tolerate cloddy conditions, although this will influence the level of weed control achieved with herbicide. Winter beans are normally sown from mid-October onwards and spring beans from February onwards. Aim to establish 18-32 plants sq/m depending on variety for winter crops and 45-50 plants sq/m for spring crops this can be reduced to 35-45 plants per sq/m on fertile soils. Beans should be covered by a minimum 3cm of soil, but can be sown deeper, depending upon establishment method.

Plant Population/Seed Rate

Planting density has a large effect on yield. Seed rates should be calculated, according to thousand grain weight, germination and expected establishment, with sowing date having a major effect upon sowing rate.

Weed & Disease Control

Pre-emergence residual herbicides, which require soil moisture for activity, should form the backbone of weed control programmes in beans, as the post-emergence options are limited. Chocolate spot, downy mildew and rust are the main diseases and these can be controlled successfully with a fungicide programme. In some years, it can be necessary to control Black Bean aphid and Bruchid beetle.

Harvest

The winter bean harvest usually takes place after wheat from mid-August into September. Spring Beans harvest from midSeptember to mid-October. Beans are relatively tolerant of wet weather at harvest due to the indehiscent nature of the pods on modern winter bean varieties. Weed-free crops do not always require desiccation, unless late set pods are still green. Where desiccant is required, it should be applied when 90% of pods are dry and black. Pods are easily threshed and the seed fit for combining at 18% moisture

Protein Crops

Protein Crops

There is renewed interest in protein crops because of increased market demand, the need for more sustainably sourced protein and the introduction of the Protein Payment Scheme. Protein crops include peas, lupins and beans. Under Northern Ireland conditions field beans (winter or spring) offer the best potential to growers, with a combination of yield and harvest ability other proteins cannot match.

In general experience with combining peas and lupins has not been good locally and we would recommend that these species are only used in mixtures for wholecrop rather than for combining purposes.

Winter Beans

Tundra

Tundra is a market leading winter bean variety. It is pale skinned with a pale hilum colour, suitable for both the human consumption and feed markets.

Spring Peas

Stallion

Stallion is a high yielding variety that has good agronomic characteristics. It has good standing ability and protein content.

Spring Beans

Lynx

Lynx is one of the highest yielding varieties. Its very good standing ability at harvest makes it particularly suitable for local conditions. Lynx has good downy mildew resistance but will need treated for rust.

Caprice

Caprice is a high yielding variety with good early vigor. It has good resistance to both chocolate spot and bean rust. It is also an early maturing variety.