Dry Edible Beans: Variety Selection

| 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 > Variety Selection

Order OMAFRA Publication 811: Agronomy Guide for Field Crops

Before deciding on a marketing class, carefully consider:

• various marketing opportunities
• contract requirements
• unique production requirements and risks
• quality standards

Select varieties based on yield, maturity, standability and disease resistance/tolerance. White beans are rated for their suitability for direct harvest. Varieties are also rated for resistance to two important diseases: bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) and anthracnose. When dry edible beans are grown in narrow rows, select varieties with an upright plant type, since direct harvest is the only option.

Maturity - CHUs

Choosing varieties of an appropriate maturity is of primary importance (see Figure 1-1, Crop Heat Units (CHU-M1) Available for Corn Production, for the heat unit rating for your area). Select varieties that will mature within the first half of September, when the weather is generally more favourable for harvest and the opportunity for timely planting of winter wheat exists. Harvesting in dry weather will help maintain high-quality beans.

For a list of varieties and their heat unit ratings, see distributor information and the OMAFRA Infosheet, Performance Trials for Dry Edible Beans, at the OMAFRA website at www.ontario.ca/crops.

Maturity of beans is rated for two areas: full/mid-season and short-season areas. The differences between these general areas have more influence on a variety's "days to maturity" than does the planting date.