Beans

Field beans (vicia faba) are a widely grown break crop across the UK on around 170,000 ha. 

See the PGRO Online Pulse Agronomy Guide for useful info on growing field beans.

Field beans (Vicia faba) are used for inclusion in animal feed, aquaculture, export for human consumption and for pigeon feed. Suitable winter and spring varieties are available for these uses.

Beans provide a useful break to reduce cereal pests and diseases and an opportunity to control grass weeds in an arable rotation. In wet years and on heavy soils, beans perform better than peas. Beans also suffer less from pigeon damage, they are easier to combine, and growing costs can sometimes be lower.

Beans, however, are harvested later than peas, and time of harvest is very dependent on seasonal weather in the August/September period.

Winter beans do not have a vernalisation requirement, although they are more winter hardy than spring types. In moisture-retentive and fertile fields that produce tall, lush crops short-strawed varieties could be an asset. Ascochyta is most likely to be a problem in wet conditions and varieties with good resistance are available.

Beans are classified as winter and spring beans and are further classified by pale or black hilum colour or tic. Some pale hilum type have low levels of anti-nutritinal compound Vicine and Convicine (LVC types).

  • Winter beans are generally large-seeded with a thousand seed weight normally above 530 grams. Spring varieties are generally smaller seeded. Tic bean varieties have small, rounded seeds, which may be suitable for the pigeon trade.
     
  • Pale hilum spring beans for export for human consumption and small-seeded beans for the pigeon trade attract a premium.
     
  • Downy mildew can cause yield loss in some seasons, but varieties with good resistance are available. Early maturing spring beans can mature before winter beans.
     
  • Early maturing beans have enabled the crop to be grown in Northern Britain.

Quality standards for export to the Middle East for human consumption are high. Varieties with a smooth and pale skin and pale hilum are suitable for this market. It is important that samples are clean, sound and have low levels of bruchid beetle damage.

 

 

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As the UK's centre of excellence for peas and beans, the PGRO has a long and highly valued track record of providing authoritative, up to date information and project work based on solid, reliable research.

Diseases infect susceptible plant hosts, where environmental conditions favor disease development. Infected crops achieve lower yields and the quality of the produce can also be affected.

Bruchus rufimanus is a widespread pest of beans. Adults are 3.5 - 4.5 mm long, squat shaped, black or dark-bown with small grey flecks

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We farm 280 hectares of organic arable land in North Northumberland. We grow wheat, barley, oats, beans & clover. As a seed merchant, Smales Organic Seeds, we process a lot of our crops to sell as seed. We rent out the clover leys to a local sheep farmer. We have grown spring beans for a long time.  Beans are an important part of our rotation but this year is the first year that we have grown winter beans.

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Peas (pisum sativum) are grown either for combining dry seed (combining peas) or harvesting fresh as a vegetable or for freezing (vining peas).

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At present, we are leaders in the spring field bean market, including varieties such as Lynx, Genius, Futura and newer varieties including Loki and Ketu. We also have competitive oilseed rape varieties, for example Clubroot resistant varieties Crusoe and Crome, HEAR OSR varieties including Resort. Spring Peas including market leader Carrington and butterfly, marrowfats like Takayama and yellow Concerto. Finally we have '00' OSR Maverick, Murray and Vegas, all of which help the UK farmer to maximise their yield.  

This Topic doesn't yet have a Stewarded summary, but connected groups, content and organisations show below. Click the 'Ask to Join' button if you would like to be a Steward for this Topic and provide a summary of current knowledge and recommend useful resources, organisations, networks and projects. "Like" this Topic if you would like to see it prioritised for providing a wikipedia style summary.   Branston are creating a potato derived protein product.

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The bruchid beetle (also known as bean seed beetle or broad bean weevil) damages the seeds of field bean and its larvae can lead to crop rejection in broad beans.

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Beans provide a useful break crop for wheat or seed crops.

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The YEN programme has highlighted factors not previously recognised as important for achieving go

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