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Winter
Beans are normally harvested from early August to mid to late
September.
Beans for the animal feed market need to be dry and free from
moulds. However, cracked or damaged seed is not a problem. Weed
free crops are not normally desiccated however late developing;
uneven and weedy crops may need desiccating to aid harvesting.
Choices of desiccant are Reglone or Touchdown.
Reglone needs to be applied when crop is mature, the majority
of pods have turned black and most of the seed is dry. Harvest
can take place 4-7 days later. Rates of application are 3.0lt/ha
with the addition of non-ionic wetter at 100ml/100lt of water.
Touchdown needs to be applied when seeds have less than
30% moisture content and at least 7 days prior to harvest. If
the weather is dull after spraying, it may well be 10-14 days
before you can combine. This treatment has little effect on bringing
the crop to maturity but will prove very effective on couch, broadleaf
weed and perennial weed control. A crop treated with Touchdown
should not be used for seed. Rates of Touchdown are dependent
on the weeds to control and so can vary between 1.5lt/ha-4.0lt/ha.
Glufosinate-ammonium (Harvest) can also be used. This controls
annual and perennial grasses and broadleaf weeds. Perennial non-rhizomatous
grasses and broadleaf weeds are well controlled by a single dose.
Couch, docks and nettles are more difficult and at the single
application may not be fully controlled. Rate of application for
desiccation is 3.0lt/ha in 200-400lt/ha water when the crop is
mature. This is when stems and pods are black, usually 10-14 days
before harvesting. Do not spray if rain is likely within 6 hours.
Aim for a nice bright sunny day and a dry leaf at application.
The quality of beans is little affected by weeds. Winter beans
are large seeded and efficient cleaning systems on the combine
harvester will prevent contamination with weed seeds.
Harvesting
As the plant
senesces the pods will turn black. At this stage the pods are
suitable for threshing. However, the stems could still be green
and fleshy, and if combined at this stage, could cause major blockages
within the combine. The crop will need to be left a little longer
so a higher percentage of stems are black and fit for combining.
If the crop becomes over dry, seed can become damaged and quality
lost. Combining when there is a little damp on the crop can reduce
shelling losses. Early morning or evening would be ideal. Use
maximum fan speed, a slow drum speed and appropriate sieves suitable
for large seed.
Drying
and Storage
Normal quality
standards ex-farm are 14% moisture and 2 % impurities.
For long term storage in bulk you will need to dry the beans down
to 14% moisture for safe keeping. The size and the low resistance
to airflow of bean seed make drying them both time- consuming
and difficult. Slow and gentle drying, preferably with ambient
air, is the best and the safest way. High temperatures in continuous
dryers can cause problems with cracking. If initial moisture content
is high, it will be necessary, in a floor ventilated system, to
frequently move the beans, dry with warm air, and apply adequate
ventilation so mould does not form in the upper layers. On-floor
drying using warmed or ambient air is okay but remember not to
load the beans too deep if moisture levels are high and the ventilation
ducts are spaced more than 1m apart. Take care when drying beans
with a radially ventilated system as the beans can sometimes be
overheated.
ALL
INFORMATION INCLUDED ON THESE PAGES IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY & DOES
NOT CONSTITUTE RECOMMENDATION
FROM AGRIVICE LTD
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