Dry Edible Beans: Tillage Options

| Corn | Soybeans | Forages | Cereals | Dry Edible Beans |
| Spring and Winter Canola | Other Crops | Soil Management |
| Soil Fertility and Nutrient Use | Field Scouting |
| On-Farm Stored Grain Management | Weed Control |
| Insects and Pests of Field Crops | Diseases of Field Crops | Appendices |

Pub 811: Agronomy Guide > Dry Edible Beans > Tillage Options

Excerpt from Agronomy Guide for Field Crops
Order OMAFRA Publication 811: Agronomy Guide for Field Crops

Dry beans grow best in soils that are friable, loose and well aerated. The seedbed requirements are similar to those for soybeans, including a firm seedbed to enhance a uniform planting depth. The best stands come from beans that emerge within a week of planting. To accomplish this, it is important to have:

• uniform soil moisture
• good soil-to-seed contact
• secondary tillage limited to minimum required for seedbed preparation
• surface conditions that minimize risk for soil crusting

White and black beans can be successfully grown using either a conventional or no-till system. Conventional tillage is necessary for large-seeded bean types that are usually harvested by the pull and windrow method. In no-till systems, dry beans respond to some form of tillage in the seed zone at planting. This is largely due to their inherently small and poorly developed root system. Tillage coulters on the planting unit will provide the necessary seed zone tillage.

Beans are shorter when grown in a no-till system and therefore are more suited to narrow row production. Packing following planting is essential for dry edible beans where direct harvesting is planned and for dry edible beans planted no-till into corn stubble. Packing will prevent stones, cornstalks and contamination from dirt when combining.

Land planted to dry edible beans is susceptible to soil erosion. The crop canopy and crop residue only protect the soil for a relatively short period of time. For beans in wide rows, a crop canopy may only fully cover the soil during August.

Crop Rotation Considerations

A good crop rotation is the most important detail for high edible bean yields. Factors to consider when selecting a field for dry edible beans:

• soil type , structure, stoniness and drainage
• disease history
• weed control and herbicide carry-over

Soil Type and Structure

Dry edible beans are one of the most responsive crops to good soil structure. Heavy soils that have poor drainage, crust or are hard to till risk uneven emergence and poor stands. Soil remaining saturated for 24 hours will lead to severe damage to seedlings. Uneven emergence results in uneven ripening, delayed harvest and immature beans that increase the "pick" and result in lower grade and price when marketed.

Avoid growing dry edible beans in fields where compaction is a concern. Soil compaction is a serious dry bean production issue that restricts root growth, promotes root disease and increases risk of herbicide injury. Yield reductions from compaction and poor soil stucture can be as high as 30%-50%. Compaction takes time to overcome and cannot be alleviated with tillage alone.

Disease

A rotation where beans are grown only once in 3 years (or longer) is essential to avoid the build-up of diseases. The most common diseases encouraged by short rotations are root rots and white mould (Sclerotinia). Soybeans, canola or sunflowers are not the best rotation crops since they are all susceptible to white mould. Root rots are challenging to control through rotation because they have a wide crop-host range. The organisms that cause root rots are often invasive, infecting plants that are under stress. Soil compaction, poor drainage, frequent cropping to beans and other factors cause plant stress that favours root rot. Dry beans are also hosts for soybean cyst nematode (SCN). The impact of SCN on various dry bean market classes is under investigation. For additional information about SCN and other dry edible bean diseases, see Chapter 14, Diseases of Field Crops.

Weed Control

Options for controlling annual broadleaf and perennial weeds are limited in dry edible beans, so weeds must be controlled in the previous crop. Weeds present at harvest may also create quality problems (seed staining). Perennial weeds, such as pokeweed and nightshade, cause severe staining of beans at harvest. Corn is often favoured as a previous crop because of the number of options for controlling probem weeds.

Dry edible beans are very sensitive to certain herbicides. To reduce carry-over injury from previous crops, select herbicides carefully the year prior to bean production.

When all the factors have been taken into consideration, most often the ultimate rotation crop for dry edible beans is corn; forages or cereals also make a good rotation crop. A previous crop of corn provides a good opportunity to control weeds and an effective break in edible bean diseases. A cereal crop in which weed control was good would be preferred over a corn field where compaction following a wet harvest might be an issue. Forages provide the best soil structure, but soil insects and weed pressure can be an issue. For more information on appropriate crop rotations for dry edible beans and precautions under different tillage systems, see Chapter 8, Soil Management.