Shocking Yields from direct drilled spring Beans

[Goldilocks]

Just started harvesting our spring beans, some of which were direct drilled with the 8m simtech through a dry crust but into wet slubber underneath. Compared with yields of beans drilled with our Kockerling after some cultivations, yields are much lower. Not all done yet but first few fields showing around 2t/Ha for direct drilled compared with 3-4 t/ha after cultivations !
Have always thought that large seeded crops can cope with DD better and indeed in the past have had fantastic results sowing spring beans early, direct into very heavy frosts with a horsch sprinter. Not sure what went wrong this year, maybe it was just too wet underneath after the record winter rainfall?

 

[shakerator]

Not looking the best year for bean yields anyway??

Why? As perfect growing season really??

 

[yellow belly]

not sure I agree with the op but do not want every one growing beans
early planting does not always give the highest yield but always needs more herbicide
beans 60 % harvested and very happy with the pile of beans so far
not seen a single bruchid so far all no tilled march 20 onwards the worst field were because of charlock or black grass next year all fields with any amount of bg or charlock will be left to be planted last and not before april 10th with glyphosate as late as possible post drilling

 

[Robert]

What drill yellow belly?

 

[dontknowanything]

Just started harvesting our spring beans, some of which were direct drilled with the 8m simtech through a dry crust but into wet slubber underneath. Compared with yields of beans drilled with our Kockerling after some cultivations, yields are much lower. Not all done yet but first few fields showing around 2t/Ha for direct drilled compared with 3-4 t/ha after cultivations !
Have always thought that large seeded crops can cope with DD better and indeed in the past have had fantastic results sowing spring beans early, direct into very heavy frosts with a horsch sprinter. Not sure what went wrong this year, maybe it was just too wet underneath after the record winter rainfall?

Shhhhhh!

Sort-of-direct-drilled winter beans have done very well here this year, best ever in fact.

True DD spring beans unharvested as of yet, look very good though.

 

[yellow belly]

What drill yellow belly?

weaving big disc

I believe the key is the conditions and high enough seed rate

my local bee keeper has had a record yield of honey so I am not surprised about the yield

 

[Andy Howard]

DD beans done well here on some pretty awful dirt. Between 5-6t/ha. Would never establish any other way

 

[DrWazzock]

We had a contractor direct drill some winter beans with a modified Shakerator outfit. Excellent job. They looked very well until the dry spell in spring when they went off badly on the sand partly through lack of moisture and partly through low pH. The beans on the clay carried on growing strongly and did exceptionally well. Overall result was about 3 tonnes per ha, which was a relief considering the plants in the light areas were almost non existent and smothered with mayweed.

 

[Badshot]

2t/ha, 3-4t/ha, if I was thinking of growing beans that would make me think again .........

 

[Clive]

Just started harvesting our spring beans, some of which were direct drilled with the 8m simtech through a dry crust but into wet slubber underneath. Compared with yields of beans drilled with our Kockerling after some cultivations, yields are much lower. Not all done yet but first few fields showing around 2t/Ha for direct drilled compared with 3-4 t/ha after cultivations !
Have always thought that large seeded crops can cope with DD better and indeed in the past have had fantastic results sowing spring beans early, direct into very heavy frosts with a horsch sprinter. Not sure what went wrong this year, maybe it was just too wet underneath after the record winter rainfall?

Was drilling date the same for cultivated and direct drilled ?

By direct drilled do you mean zero-till or proper strip till / cultivator drill direct ?

Any over winter cover crops ?

 

[dontknowanything]

Was drilling date the same for cultivated and direct drilled ?

By direct drilled do you mean zero-till or proper strip till / cultivator drill direct ?

Any over winter cover crops ?

I doubt a change in drilling date would double yield (maybe march vs may would), and he used a simtech.

 

[Clive]

I doubt a change in drilling date would double yield (maybe march vs may would), and he used a simtech.

If soil temp was too cold it could easy halve yield IMO

Would be interesting to know what soil temps were at drilling for both methods rather than just dates which are irrelevant really

My zero-till beans look fine (not cut yet as not ready) but were drilled at least a month latter than anything else locally via cultivation

 

[Badshot]

If soil temp was too cold it could easy halve yield IMO

Would be interesting to know what soil temps were at drilling for both methods rather than just dates which are irrelevant really

My experience of spring beans is that the early drilled crops outyield the later ones by quite some margin. Temp isn't that much of an issue for spring beans, certainly not like SOSR and s barley.

 

[dontknowanything]

If soil temp was too cold it could easy halve yield IMO

Would be interesting to know what soil temps were at drilling for both methods rather than just dates which are irrelevant really

My zero-till beans look fine (not cut yet as not ready) but were drilled at least a month latter than anything else locally via cultivation

They aren't irrelevant, they are just not the whole picture. A warm spell in Feb would not be a good time to drill beans for example.

 

[Clive]

My experience of spring beans is that the early drilled crops outyield the later ones by quite some margin. Temp isn't that much of an issue for spring beans, certainly not like SOSR and s barley.

I've found them to be very soil temp dependant and generally always had better yields from latter sowings when direct drilled

The danger in this strategy is however potential lack of moisture latter on

 

[Clive]

They aren't irrelevant, they are just not the whole picture. A warm spell in Feb would not be a good time to drill beans for example.

Air temp normally has to be fairly consistent for a while before soil temps rise though, blips from a warm spell encourage many to get out in a field despite soil temps still being too cold IMO

Zero-till maybe exaggerates this as no soil movement pulls no warm air into soil and they don't warm up like grown cultivated fields perhaps ?

 

[dontknowanything]

Air temp normally has to be fairly consistent for a while before soil temps rise though, blips from a warm spell encourage many to get out in a field despite soil temps still being too cold IMO

soil temp at what depth?

 

[Badshot]

I've found them to be very soil temp dependant and generally always had better yields from latter sowings when direct drilled

The danger in this strategy is however potential lack of moisture latter on

would be an interesting trial, drill half a field as soon as it was possible to travel well, and the rest a few weeks later when the temps have (hopefully) risen, if I had a yield mapping machine I'd certainly try it.

The nearest I have got is my neighbour hung back one year and struggled to get over a tonne an acre when mine managed about 2.5, this was almost entirely due to lack of moisture in a dry spring. We were both cultivating but not ploughing.

 

[Clive]

soil temp at what depth?

Seeding depth 3-4" in the case of beans for me

 

[dontknowanything]

Seeding depth

Then I would disagree, in my testing over the last couple of years, temp at depths of 2" change daily by large amounts.