Sowing conditions mean great time for winter beans

’Sowing conditions have never been better for winter beans,’ says Becky Ward, PGRO senior technical officer. ’Seedbed conditions are excellent, with recent rainfall making moisture conditions ideal.’

’Growers are taking advantage of being on top of their workloads with wheat drillings - and many are carrying straight on with getting their winter beans in the ground as the optimum time for winter bean establishment is from now up to mid-November.’

Growers are advised to drill beans into a minimum depth of 3-5 inches. Also seed sizes are quite large this year, therefore growers are reminded that to check TGW and aim for 18/20 plants established in the spring. The lack of tillering in some crops last winter has prompted some growers to increase their seed rates this year from the normal 24 seeds to 26 seeds.

’As well those who has already planned their winter bean drilling, reports of oilseed rape crops failing as a result of the very dry conditions in September has prompted extra interest from growers who are redrilling with beans,’ she adds.