Teagasc has confirmed that the 2024 spring bean harvest is proving to be a significant challenge for many growers.
Tillage specialist, Ciaran Collins said:
“While it is hard to determine an exact figure, estimates suggest that only 10% of the crop remains not harvested in some areas, while up to 50% of this year’s crop remains not harvested in other areas.
“The primary issue is late crop maturity due to delayed sowing. Many crops have not yet reached full maturity, with green stems and pods still visible in some fields.
“Even where crops are mature, it is difficult to get moisture down low enough to harvest.”
But it’s not all a bad news story, where spring beans are concerned.
Despite the late season, yields have remained strong this year. Cooler than usual weather in June supported crop development, and there was sufficient soil moisture during the crucial flowering period to sustain good pod numbers.
Spring bean harvest
A large proportion of the harvested crops have yielded between 5.0 and 6.5t/ha. However, high moisture could be a factor is some of the higher yielding crops.
No doubt, farmers will take every opportunity to harvest at this stage, as there is a danger that one year’s delayed harvest may prevent an autumn crop being sown.
Collins added that “farmers should consult their grain merchant before harvesting beans, if moisture levels are high”.
The area of spring beans hit a record area in 2024 at 17,604ha planted this spring. Guaranteed income from the increased protein payment was a major incentive in a late spring when farmers were running out of cropping options.
Spring beans act to improve soil quality by adding organic matter and carbon – they also fix nitrogen (N) from the atmosphere. This can help reduce the need for fertiliser in following crops.
In addition, spring beans can be a good break crop between cereal crops. They can be especially valuable in spring cereal crop rotations when other break crop options are limited.
Meanwhile, the budget for the 2024 Protein aid Scheme is €7 million. But the final rate/ha will not be set until the area of the eligible crops (beans, peas, lupins, soya and the protein/cereal mix crop (50% rate) is fully determined.
Payment normally happens in December. The relevant crop estimates for 2024 are as follows: spring beans, 17,604ha; winter beans, 541ha; peas, 931ha; lupins, 22ha; soya bean -100% protein, 25ha; protein/cereal mix crop 2,721ha (eligible for the 50% rate of grant).