Field beans popular with arable farmers and livestock farmers

Seed supplier Limagrain brought the 'winter field beans' crop to the Netherlands in 2015. The first results are positive for both livestock farmers and arable farmers. Reason for Limagrain to continue growing. The seed breeder focuses on development and sales.

The cultivation of field beans is growing. In the Netherlands and Belgium, winter and summer field beans are grown by arable farmers, (dairy) livestock farmers and poultry farmers. Limagrain introduced the winter variant Tundra in autumn 2015. In doing so, it responds to the demand for locally produced protein. Ton Wouda, commercial manager arable farming at Limagrain, explains where the opportunities and bottlenecks lie.

Limagrain introduced the winter field bean variety Tundra at the end of 2015. It is now being grown for the second season. What are the experiences so far?
'After a few trials, we started commercially with winter field beans in the autumn of 2015. The acreage has grown from 75 hectares in the 2015-2016 season to 300 hectares in 2016-2017. The acreage of summer beans is slightly larger. 40 percent of this acreage is owned by dairy farmers. 35 percent among arable farmers. The remaining group consists of poultry and meat farmers, mixed companies or organic farmers. The summer of 2016 was wet and had too few hours of sunshine. As a result, revenues were at a lower level than we were used to. Yield differences between winter and summer varieties were small. We saw yields of 3 to 7 tons per hectare. The protein content was 27 percent on average.'

What conclusions have you drawn at Limagrain after last year?
'Over the past year we mainly followed growers. Many different sowing methods have been used. We learned from that. The optimum sowing depth is 8 centimetres, with a row spacing of 32 to 50 centimetres. Last winter it was quite freezing in some places. By sowing deep, the growing point is low. If the plant freezes, it will always grow back, as we have noticed. He's a tough rascal.'

What are the crop plans for this season?
'Fine tuning in cultivation is important. For this we work together with Crop Solutions, Test Farm Rusthoeve, in Zeeland, and Test Farm Vredepeel in North Brabant. We investigate the soil type in which the summer and winter field bean grows best. Experiments are also being carried out with the seeding distance in the row. The third point is crop protection. We are conducting trials with insecticide control against black bean aphids and fungicidal control against chocolate stains.'

The acreage is growing, but are there sufficient opportunities on the sales side?
Arable farmers want to sell their product to the animal feed industry. We supervise that process, but ultimately that contact must take place directly between arable farmer and feed producer. Last season, Agruniek Rijnvallei processed field beans in their feeds. Practice will show to what extent it is possible to replace protein from imported (GMO) soy, and how many hectares of beans are required for this. Livestock farmers who grow and feed beans themselves are enthusiastic. The protein content in the milk increases and the cows feel noticeably better. That's how we hear from farmers. Many companies have room in the crop plan to grow the crop themselves. Large companies are forced to grow a third crop, in addition to grass and maize. Field beans fit perfectly in this picture. We are also looking for sales for human consumption. We are conducting a market survey in collaboration with ZLTO. Global export is not interesting for the Netherlands. You then talk about large volumes for little money.'

Can the acreage of (winter) field beans continue to grow in the coming years?
'We believe that an increase in acreage is certainly possible. You see that the pioneers are the first to pick up the crop. Then the rest will follow. There is enough interest. Not only in the Netherlands, but also in Belgium. The area of ​​field beans in Flanders is 700 hectares. The benefit for the grower must remain central, namely; it provides sufficient financial returns to compete with wheat. Soybeans are an alternative protein source. Although protein levels in soy are higher than in beans, the yields are actually lower. Field beans come out better with their higher protein yields per hectare. Moreover, non-GMO variety breeding in Western Europe is minimal for soy, while bean varieties are constantly being improved in Europe. By working closely with buyers, we can steer the breeding process according to their requirements. We also expect a lot from the food sector. A lot of soy protein is still used there. The future looks bright.'

Niels van der Boom

Niels van der Boom is a senior market specialist for arable crops at DCA Market Intelligence. He mainly makes analyses and market updates about the potato market. In columns he shares his sharp view on the arable sector and technology.

n.vanderboom@boerenbusiness. Nl

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