Has anyone planted Beans and Maize together?

JackoTS90

Member
Livestock Farmer
Interested in this concept. We only plant around 20ha a year for forage, and I saw something about inter cropping beans into maize and the beans climb up the maize stalk. Whether it would work or not would be the question, higher protein would be one good thing, something that Maize severely lacks. Anyone done this? Keen to hear some thoughts.
thanks
 

Mixedupfarmer

Member
Location
Norfolk
Interested in this concept. We only plant around 20ha a year for forage, and I saw something about inter cropping beans into maize and the beans climb up the maize stalk. Whether it would work or not would be the question, higher protein would be one good thing, something that Maize severely lacks. Anyone done this? Keen to hear some thoughts.
thanks
Think @sjt01 was trying this?
 

sjt01

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
North Norfolk
Think @sjt01 was trying this?
Harvested a week ago, not yet computed the yields. With the very cold and wet spring, the beans were very slow to emerge, we hope in a normal spring they would be closer to maturity with the maize.

The main issue is what we suspected, herbicide choice is very severely limited by the combination. The main mistake we made was following a crop of strawberries, as we were not aware that both the beans and strawberries are susceptible to Pythium fungus.

We will probably have another go next year, and hope for better spring weather
20210828_180046.jpg
 
Was this not an ancient American Indian system called something like the holy trinity by early settlers? Maize beans and some sort of cover crop to suppress weeds and in the case of trefoils or clovers to provide a bit more nitrogen? Perhaps a clover Timothy mix under sown would work as it’s slow to establish and get going but would potentially be there after the maize and beans had been harvested?
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
Was this not an ancient American Indian system called something like the holy trinity by early settlers? Maize beans and some sort of cover crop to suppress weeds and in the case of trefoils or clovers to provide a bit more nitrogen? Perhaps a clover Timothy mix under sown would work as it’s slow to establish and get going but would potentially be there after the maize and beans had been harvested?
3 sisters - corn, beans, squash
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
I shall do a trial plot. Thinking of doing half hectare or so for starters, so if it’s a complete flop it is less risk. The maize should still grow? Just the Jacko and the Beanstalk part may fail🤣
Make sure you post the good, bad, and ugly for us.

We'd struggle to get maize here but growing corn in the garden is fine, better microclimate behind a windbreak. If you can't get compatible maturity dates then sequential planting "might" be an option?

Plant the corn and beans, and put whatever groundcover/flowering type plants on with the fert, then roll before the big seeds poke up
 

JackoTS90

Member
Livestock Farmer
Make sure you post the good, bad, and ugly for us.

We'd struggle to get maize here but growing corn in the garden is fine, better microclimate behind a windbreak. If you can't get compatible maturity dates then sequential planting "might" be an option?

Plant the corn and beans, and put whatever groundcover/flowering type plants on with the fert, then roll before the big seeds poke up
Most certainly will post result. Yep getting beans and maize to mature at a similar time would be the key, to ensure that the beans arnt to high in moisture, which could create an expensive pile of compost. Need to look into it further
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
Most certainly will post result. Yep getting beans and maize to mature at a similar time would be the key, to ensure that the beans arnt to high in moisture, which could create an expensive pile of compost. Need to look into it further
I have a north American Indian mate who grows corn in the desert, Hopi style. I think one of the keys to the system's working is to not overpopulate the area with plants per m², that is you don't grow nearly as much maize/ha as you would monocrop

I'd possibly use annual clovers and maybe something "useful" like radish that will have heaps of flower and a bit of a root system left behind the forage - no worries driving around on them as long as it isn't on the side of a mountain
 

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
Are raw beans poisonous to cattle?
I know some varieties of kidneys beans can make humans very sick indeed, why you should always cook all beans thoroughly.
Dogs also can be killed by them , no idea of bovines.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Why not just grow beans separately and whole crop them? Do both crops properly, rather than a bugger’s muddle with both crops compromised.

Used to whole crop winter beans at home, sandwiched between layers of drier WW whole crop, and it consistently analysed at around 17%CP. Lots of juice, so needed the dry crop to help soak it up, but cows loved it.
 

JackoTS90

Member
Livestock Farmer
Why not just grow beans separately and whole crop them? Do both crops properly, rather than a bugger’s muddle with both crops compromised.

Used to whole crop winter beans at home, sandwiched between layers of drier WW whole crop, and it consistently analysed at around 17%CP. Lots of juice, so needed the dry crop to help soak it up, but cows loved it.
All I did was think about it, and it’s just a thought. May still leave it at that.
 

JackoTS90

Member
Livestock Farmer
Righto. Have got my hands on 50kg pea seeds from a local merchant. Didn’t plant them with the maize planter but will inter row them with a small hand planter. Does anyone know about peas? How deep? Was just thinking 40-50 mm or so so they get a good start with moisture. What sowing rate? Can’t imagine 50kg will go far but it’s a start to the trial. I’m only using peas because I can’t get my Hands on beans, might go through the planter better too.
 

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