Peas and Beans within a rotation

[gpj.greed]

Hello,

Last year I grew a few peas for the first time with reasonable success and have subsequently put some more in this year. We also grow beans along with OSR as break crops.

I’ve been advised not grow more than one legume within a five year rotation to avoid building up a sclerotinia problem.

Does anyone have experience of growing more than one legume in their rotation and any issues with disease?

I have inter cropped a small area of beans and oats which has worked quite well, I’m wondering if this would help mitigate the risk of growing two legumes?

Thanks

 

[yellow belly]

I grow beans not tried peas but would agree not to grow Pulses close together
5 to 6 years
when we grow beans on land that has not had pulses for a long time 20 years or more they always do well
wheat beans wheat beans not good tried beans after beans when we could not get wheat in one year terrible

peas on heavy land notill not sure about but will have to try it as no one i know has tried it

 

[Spud]

Beans one in 6 here on heavy land, direct drilled, no problem.

A neighbour grows beans one in 4, and has had bother with bean stem nematode more than he has sclerotinia, but he doesn't grow OSR.

The most sustainable and successful rotations keep break crops as far apart as possible. 1 in 6 works well for most crops, 1 in 8 is better still.

 

[Banana Bar]

Where do leguminous cover crops fit into this? Are they in the ground long enough to create issues with pea and bean crops grown on 5+ yr rotations?

BB

 

[Spud]

I'll be honest - I don't know. What I do do is test my seed for nematodes, and avoid putting beans in cc mixes on rented taty land where peas or beans are in the rotation.

 

[gpj.greed]

Beans one in 6 here on heavy land, direct drilled, no problem.

A neighbour grows beans one in 4, and has had bother with bean stem nematode more than he has sclerotinia, but he doesn't grow OSR.

The most sustainable and successful rotations keep break crops as far apart as possible. 1 in 6 works well for most crops, 1 in 8 is better still.

I can see that straight peas and straight beans within a 6 year rotation is a no no, but what if each were inter cropped with oats? Would the diversity of the oat crop reduce the nematode and sclerotinia risk...?

 

[Spud]

I can see that straight peas and straight beans within a 6 year rotation is a no no, but what if each were inter cropped with oats? Would the diversity of the oat crop reduce the nematode and sclerotinia risk...?

I don't know - we grow oats in the same rotation, so could try a bit. The idea of timing harvest when they're both fit and separating them afterwards though!

 

[pom]

I grow pea barley mixture for combining in an organic rotation one year in 6, would like to up it to 2 years in 6 . Chap from western seeds who developed combicrop tried to tell me there is not a problem,but he is a salesman ?.my thoughts are is 2 half crops of peas with a cereal between any different to to 1 full crop of peas?.

 

[Rob Garrett]

I grow pea barley mixture for combining in an organic rotation one year in 6, would like to up it to 2 years in 6 . Chap from western seeds who developed combicrop tried to tell me there is not a problem,but he is a salesman ?.my thoughts are is 2 half crops of peas with a cereal between any different to to 1 full crop of peas?.

Western's pea/barley combi crop 1 year in 3 here, no problems yet! Have noticed an increase in pea/bean weevil in following undersown clover, but not at level to do damage. Seed is hellish expensive!

 

[martian]

Can you not use your own seed?

 

[gpj.greed]

I grow pea barley mixture for combining in an organic rotation one year in 6, would like to up it to 2 years in 6 . Chap from western seeds who developed combicrop tried to tell me there is not a problem,but he is a salesman ?.my thoughts are is 2 half crops of peas with a cereal between any different to to 1 full crop of peas?.

I have a similar view on this - the diversity of the two inter crops helps the situation

 

[tr250]

Would spring beans or peas be better so they are in the ground less time. Edit compared to winter beans

 

[Rob Garrett]

Can you not use your own seed?

Yes. Done a kitchen germination test on home saved this year, peas around 90% but barley 40%. Could up seedrate but feel the pea:barley ratio is quite important i.e. more peas = higher risk of going flat