Brought to you by Limagrain
Homemade protein: opt for field beans
With a yield potential of 5 to 8 tons per hectare, the (winter) field bean is the most profitable cultivation of protein for dairy farmers in the Netherlands. The field bean makes a major contribution to reducing feed purchases and at the same time to realizing more protein from our own land.
The acreage of field beans in the Netherlands continues to grow. This trend started in 2015 and is still continuing. The total acreage of protein-rich crops has increased over the past 10 years from 5.642 hectares to 9.124 hectares. More and more livestock farmers are reducing feed costs with protein and starch-rich beans, grown on their own land or in collaboration with arable farmers.
Nutritional value winter field beans
In 2015, Limagrain introduced the Tundra winter field bean in the Netherlands. The field beans are sown from mid-October to December. This results in early tillering in the spring, a higher yield potential at lower seed costs and an extra early harvest. After harvest, the field beans can be ground; they then form excellent concentrates for dairy and beef cattle with 25% to 32% crude protein and up to 400 grams of starch.
In the feed value analyzes above we see values of 1.050 to 1.200 VEM, 25% to 32% crude protein and 300 to 400 grams of starch.
Video: cultivation, harvesting and processing of field beans
