Spring beans will be on many farmers’ minds and intentions to sow will be decided in the coming days and weeks. The recommended list was published by the department recently; the details of which are below.
The crop is an attractive option for many farmers. In 2018, a total of €2.8 million was paid out on 8,010ha (just short of €350/ha). This was an exceptional payment due to a lower area planted in what were poor sowing conditions. The payment in 2017 was much less at €215/ha.
Recommended list
Lynx is a new variety on the spring beans recommended list in 2019, while Fuego has been removed from department trials. Lynx is currently the highest yielding variety with a relative yield of 106.
Lynx and Fanfare rate at 7 for downy mildew. Lynx rates highest for chocolate spot (7) and Fanfare tops the list for resistance to rust with a score of 7.
Data in the recommended list is based on three years’ data, unless otherwise stated. Data in brackets shows where limited data was available.
Reduced yield in 2018
Yield is expressed as a three-year average and this figure reduced dramatically from the 2018 to the 2019 list. In 2018, the three-year average control yield from the recommended list was 8t/ha, while in 2019 the three-year average control yield was reduced to 6.2t/ha.
This is an indication of the dramatic reduction in crop yield in 2018, most likely as a result of poor sowing conditions and the summer’s drought.