Brought to you by Limagrain
Area growth of field beans continues
About 4 years after the introduction of the winter field bean Tundra in the Netherlands, the acreage of the field bean is still on the rise. Seed orders for this protein crop from Limagrain's UK breeding program have doubled from last year.
Since its introduction in 2015, the acreage has grown annually to the approximately 720 hectares of summer and winter field beans grown this year. The doubling in winter bean seed is due to the sowing conditions of this autumn, but we also see that the area growth continues.
VLOG feed and protein yield
More dairy, meat and poultry farmers are looking for concentrate crops and field beans (with 25% to 32% crude protein and 300 to 400 grams of starch) are perfectly adequate. The focus on home-grown protein and the strong growth in VLOG milk flows also contribute to the increase in acreage.
Field beans are also grown on arable farms for neighboring livestock farmers, animal feed manufacturers or for human consumption. As a leguminous bean, the field bean fits well in most rotations. The revenue potential is thanks to our introduction of the TUNDRA and via breeding also attractive with 5 to more than 8 tons of beans per hectare.
Gained experience
In the meantime, the necessary experience has also been gained with cultivation. For example, we had to experience sowing distance, depth and winter hardiness. A depth of 8 to 10 centimeters protects the young plant sufficiently, even in severe frost.
Since the winter beans are prosperous in the spring, we aim for 20 plants per m2, instead of the 40 m2 in summer field beans. Thanks to these experiences, we see more and more growers achieving good yields with summer and winter field beans.
Want to know more about field beans? Read all about cultivation, storage and feeding.
