Spring Bean Growing Tips?

[cotswold farmer 1977]

We have 25ha of ground ploughed in October which was destined to be combi drilled with winters, needless to say it will now be springs. I have not grown springs before any tips??

 

[kc6475]

Patience required! They won't tolerate being paddled in, any wet compacted areas will show up in May June time and they will just give up and produce nothing, we tend to go higher on the seed rate, a thick crop will keep the rubbish at bay better, nothing worse than trying to combine a thin crop that's full of rubbish

 

[Brisel]

They prefer early drilling for the best yields but this doesn’t mean you should force wet land. You want at least 50 plants/m2. Broad leafed weed control options are limited. Pre em pendimethalin for low pressure. Add clomazone for cleavers and hedge mustard. Imazamox as in Nirvana boosts the control spectrum but will account for most of the profit margin especially on one that needs a follow up of bentazone post emergence!

Don’t spend the earth on disease control as again, it will just cost more than the crop is worth. No thiram seed treatment for damping off now. Metalaxyl is extortion in a can - consider phosphite if you must for mildew. Manganese too. We have lost cyproconazole which did rust well though we still have tebuconazole. CTL for chocolate spot but only on certain labels and that is about to go too.

Chasing bruchid beetle has been pointless IMO as the timing has to be spot on. Pea and bean weevil will notch the edge of the leaves which isn’t bad by itself but if the larvae burrow down to feed on the rhizobium then that can cost yield.

In short, keep it cheap! I made mine more expensive by getting sulphur in via kieserite which was needed anyway for the soil Mg deficiency.

 

[J 1177]

Keep the ground as loose as possible, I find running an old pig time cultivator through the ploughed ground makes a big difference. Personally I don't roll them

 

[Chae1]

How would winter beans do now? Ploughed in.

 

[Flat 10]

How would winter beans do now? Ploughed in.

Ok

 

[Rob Holmes]

As above, also I’ve always found beans to do well after liming too,

CTL (if still approved), phosphites and teb are your friends

Don’t worry for Brucid, they’re resistant to insecticides and there are decent homes for infected beans (also doesn’t effect germination if you want to save for seed)

 

[teslacoils]

Yes, beans seem to like calcium.

 

[Zippy768]

How vital is depth in the spring?

 

[teslacoils]

How vital is depth in the spring?

Less so in the post-simazine world.

 

[Flat 10]

How vital is depth in the spring?

crows

 

[Zippy768]

Would ploughed light-ish land benefit from the rolls post drilling?

 

[Flat 10]

Would ploughed light-ish land benefit from the rolls post drilling?

Depends how cloddy seed bed is?

 

[Brisel]

Would ploughed light-ish land benefit from the rolls post drilling?

As long as it is dry. Residual herbicides like PDM will work better with less surface area.

 

[Trigger Happy]

anyone direct drilling spring beans? We have a lot of land, some strong we have not been able to plough, plan is to use co6 with 3" dutch openers.

 

[bald on top]

Claydon drill into sprayed off cover crop here.

 

[CORK]

Beans like high pH. P in the seedbed is a big plus to beans too.
As @Brisel rightly says - phosphite for downy mildew but must be preventative not curative.

 

[Zippy768]

Spring Beans 2nd fung. Being pested to consider a second application.
Little bit of rust about and choccy spot on a bit.........can find mildew if ones looks hard.
So......
Just teb?
Just strobe?
Little bit of both?

Mildew protection in mega ££ so with variety rated at 7, I'm gonna ignore it.

Crop looks v good - from what I know of beans. F-ing tall tho and I will damage some going through. Didn't put a bruchid spray on

 

[Flat 10]

Spring Beans 2nd fung. Being pested to consider a second application.
Little bit of rust about and choccy spot on a bit.........can find mildew if ones looks hard.
So......
Just teb?
Just strobe?
Little bit of both?

Mildew protection in mega ££ so with variety rated at 7, I'm gonna ignore it.

Crop looks v good - from what I know of beans. F-ing tall tho and I will damage some going through. Didn't put a bruchid spray on

How long since last go?

 

[deleted user 837354]

Spring Beans 2nd fung. Being pested to consider a second application.
Little bit of rust about and choccy spot on a bit.........can find mildew if ones looks hard.
So......
Just teb?
Just strobe?
Little bit of both?

Mildew protection in mega ££ so with variety rated at 7, I'm gonna ignore it.

Crop looks v good - from what I know of beans. F-ing tall tho and I will damage some going through. Didn't put a bruchid spray on

Two cheaper sprays is all anyone does. I've never convinced anyone to put the expensive stuff on.

Direct drilling spring beans deep as you can works a treat. Apply pre-em and hope for the best. Gotta grow em cheap because must hinges on the weather.

I agree you must not force them into wet horrible dirt and the soil structure to depth needs to be reasonable, land that has been pounded can't be direct drilled as every fudge patch will show as stunted miserable looking plants.

P and K needs to be right.