Wholecrop beans

Run to the hills · Feb 18, 2017

Just considering wholecropping beans this year, and wondered what others thoughts are on the subject? Thought about growing them with vetch to bulk up the crop and protein, not sure if it works tho.
We dont have a mixer to feed so would straw mix in ok with a loader?
I recall seeing @neilo post about growing them before.
Any help appreciated, cheers

Steevo · Feb 18, 2017

I'd expect them to be incredibly wet as a harvested product and would expect a lot of effluent potential.

Run to the hills · Feb 19, 2017

Yeah i went to look at a neigbour doing his last year and there was juice coming out the trailers. Put on top.of grass silage it might soak up some effluent tho possibly?

SilliamWhale · Feb 19, 2017

I can't really see the point of wholecropping them. I'd be more tempted to find a farmer who will sell them to you straight - even on here you could probably find someone to cart a couple of load to your shed after harvest and if you took them without them being under 15% even more would be keen.

Flat 10 · Feb 19, 2017

From what little I know, sure it was discussed on here before, beans are not ideal for wholecrop. Peas with a bit of barley in are what people tend to prefer if they want pulses to wholecrop.

Run to the hills · Feb 19, 2017

SilliamWhale said:
I can't really see the point of wholecropping them. I'd be more tempted to find a farmer who will sell them to you straight - even on here you could probably find someone to cart a couple of load to your shed after harvest and if you took them without them being under 15% even more would be keen.

We'll probably be growing them anyway so could harvest them dry if we want. The reason for considering whole crop was getting them dry is a hell of a struggle! They were 25% last time we grew them 2 years ago

also struggle with storage and our mill cant take them so have to get a contractor (who is considering packing it in) could be a tricky decision this

Steevo · Feb 19, 2017

Grow something else?

Run to the hills · Feb 19, 2017

Aye thats possible too. Im open to options, still have mum to get the decision past aswell tho

Al R · Feb 19, 2017

Would it be worth roundupping them a month before you'd roundup for the combine? I'm thinking you want it maximum bulk/volume of the plant and kill it then to make it drier? Harvest 5-6days post roundup? Seen people do it to grass.
Saw a video on YouTube from 2015 harvest of someone wholecropping OSR at maximum bulk but also in sines so it was drier. (Middle of June?) I think this was taken to an AD plant and the land had to be cleared for solar park?

Run to the hills · Feb 20, 2017

Al R said:
Would it be worth roundupping them a month before you'd roundup for the combine? I'm thinking you want it maximum bulk/volume of the plant and kill it then to make it drier? Harvest 5-6days post roundup? Seen people do it to grass.
Saw a video on YouTube from 2015 harvest of someone wholecropping OSR at maximum bulk but also in sines so it was drier. (Middle of June?) I think this was taken to an AD plant and the land had to be cleared for solar park?

Hmmm. Never heard of that before, could turn them abit black before harvest though

Dan Powell · Feb 20, 2017

Speak to Andy at Kelvin Cave about wholecrop beans. They've done some work on this. Cut when pretty ripe if I recall so not much juice if any. Using the bean haulm as a fibre source in the TMR instead of straw as it's like sticks at that point. Allegedly feeds very well but I ended up combining mine as short on clamp space.

Run to the hills · Feb 20, 2017

Dan Powell said:
Speak to Andy at Kelvin Cave about wholecrop beans. They've done some work on this. Cut when pretty ripe if I recall so not much juice if any. Using the bean haulm as a fibre source in the TMR instead of straw as it's like sticks at that point. Allegedly feeds very well but I ended up combining mine as short on clamp space.

Ahh right cheers. Guess they want to be as dry as possible but wet enough for the cracker to work on the forager. Neighbour says his feed brilliantly

Al R · Feb 20, 2017

Run to the hills said:
Ahh right cheers. Guess they want to be as dry as possible but wet enough for the cracker to work on the forager. Neighbour says his feed brilliantly

If you can I'd put a fair amount of grass top and bottom. Last time I clamped red clover I put 100acre of grass below to soak up the effluent and 100acre ontop to consolidate it! Red clover only in the field (SFP greening) and the bottom of the swath was soaking wet yet the top was dusty dry

Run to the hills · Feb 21, 2017

Al R said:
If you can I'd put a fair amount of grass top and bottom. Last time I clamped red clover I put 100acre of grass below to soak up the effluent and 100acre ontop to consolidate it! Red clover only in the field (SFP greening) and the bottom of the swath was soaking wet yet the top was dusty dry

Yeah we'd put them on top of first cut. If we go for it might sow some westerwolds aswell to go ontop or shut a field or two off to cover the pit

T7.wab · Jul 30, 2021

Run to the hills said:
Yeah we'd put them on top of first cut. If we go for it might sow some westerwolds aswell to go ontop or shut a field or two off to cover the pit

Did you do this? How did it work out?

Run to the hills · Jul 31, 2021

T7.wab said:
Did you do this? How did it work out?

Yep done it 4 times now, works well for us as it brings harvest date forward and feeds very well.

T7.wab · Jul 31, 2021

Run to the hills said:
Yep done it 4 times now, works well for us as it brings harvest date forward and feeds very well.

Thats good to hear. Im planning on putting some in to whole crop next year. Do you let them go drier rather than green? What sort of tonnage per acre do you expect?

Will Blackburn · Jul 31, 2021

I did some at the same time as wheat to clear a field to sow grass. Too early, very wet, didn't ferment properly. I feel that by the time the whole plant would be dry enough the beans may need cracking which may make things more difficult. Always combined them otherwise, keep easily at 18% then mill them, sometimes to put in the silage pit.

Run to the hills · Aug 1, 2021

T7.wab said:
Thats good to hear. Im planning on putting some in to whole crop next year. Do you let them go drier rather than green? What sort of tonnage per acre do you expect?

Yes they want to be fairly dry, they look abit black when you clamp them, definately need a cracker in the chopper. Think it was about 7t an acre from a decent crop but would vary depending how dry you take them.

Run to the hills · Aug 1, 2021

This is how ours looked in the field last year, were just a tad on the wet side but fed out very well

Wholecrop beans

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0 %

Up to 25%

25-50%

50-75%

75-100%

100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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