Winter Beans

Nitrogen-fixing crops such as winter beans obviously have advantages in a rotation, adding to soil fertility as well as adding diversity to rotations. Yields can be variable between seasons – those of the winter bean crop tend to be more stable than spring legumes as it is less vulnerable to short periods of stress compared to the spring crop. However,  2018 was not a good year for winter bean yields. A hard winter and the very hot summer did not suit the crop, and there were significant issues with quality to contend with on top of the disappointing yields. Yields in the UK were sufficiently poor that seed was in short supply and there was a temporary derogation to accept lower germinating seed just to have sufficient.  Read more here.