How to get the most out of your French bean harvest
It’s never been easy to get the most out of French beans. Production management is a precise and delicate procedure that necessitates knowledge and a thorough understanding of the crop’s requirements. When grown under the right conditions, French beans can be extremely productive.
Read also:Groundnut Farming In Kenya – The Sureway For Your Success
What is the per-acre seed rate?
Beans can be sown directly in the field or on well-prepared seedbeds. Depending on the spacing and seed size, the seed rate per acre varies. The seed rate per acre for Vanilla, Amy, Teresa, Boston, and Serengeti is 18-22 kilograms, but the rate for kinds with smaller seeds, such as Star, can be as low as 16 kilograms.
Read also: Is Potato Farming Profitable In Kenya?
Several criteria need be implemented to achieve a minimum production of 400kg per kilo, including:
Ensure that fertilizer and manure are applied properly and on time.
When given all of the necessary nutrients, French beans are extremely productive. All fertilizers should be used in the first month since they mature in 45 to 60 days, depending on the variety.
80–100 kg of DAP should be applied during the planting season. DAP should be properly mixed with the soil before planting to avoid fertilizer burn. If you’re planting during the dry season, you’ll need to irrigate before or after you plant to get the fertilizer to dissolve.
When two to three leaves appear, top-dress with Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) at a rate of 100-120kg per acre, followed by NPK 17.17.17 at the same rate during the commencement of flowering. The amount of fertilizer needed, on the other hand, varies according on the soil conditions.
Depending on the soil conditions and French bean type, 4-8 kg of fertilizer should be administered per kilo of seeds in most cases.
Foliar application must be done on a regular basis. Excessive nitrogen application, on the other hand, is not suggested because the plants’ primary concentration is on excessive vegetative development rather than flowering and yield composition. As the crop matures, foliar feeding should be varied. When the plants are young, farmers should use “beginning foliar,” then convert to high-nitrogen-based foliar nutrients throughout vegetative growth. When flowering begins, a foliar with a high potassium content should be utilized.
Controlling pests and illnesses in a timely manner
Pests and diseases have the potential to devastate crop quality and yield. Aphids, bean flies, thrips, and whiteflies are just a few of the pests that may wreak havoc on your plants. Thrips, for example, are primarily found in flowers and can harm pods if not handled, resulting in product rejection by export companies. Beans are prone to anthracnose, blight, Downey mildew, powdery mildew, rust, angular leaf spot, bean common mosaic virus, and root rots, among other pests and diseases. To combat pests and diseases, farmers should use prescribed fungicides and insecticides, certified seeds, tolerant and disease-resistant types, and crop rotation.
What is the average acreage production?
A farmer may harvest between 300-450kg per kilo, which corresponds to 6-9 tons, with correct feeding, watering, pest and disease control, and suitable ecological circumstances. The production of different types, however, fluctuates. For three weeks, a farmer can harvest French beans three times every week.
What is the yield of French beans per acre?
French bean harvesting at six tonnes per acre.
For the fine beans and the extremely fine beans, harvesting may be done twice weekly and three times weekly, respectively. It goes on like this for about three weeks. Six tonnes per acre and nine to fifteen tonnes per ha are produced in two and a half months.
How long does it take for French beans to mature?
Depending on the cultivar, environmental circumstances, and crop management strategies used, French beans might take anywhere from 45 to 60 days to maturity.
How much should one acre of French beans produce?
The profitability of French beans is governed by the export market’s demand and the producers’ present supply. One kilo of French beans costs between Ksh 70 and Ksh 100 during the high season, which runs from mid-March to mid-April. With an average of 6 tonnes per acre, a farmer can earn between Ksh 420,000 and Ksh 600,000 per acre. During the low season, which runs from June to September, prices can drop to KSh 30 per kg, meaning a farmer will only make Ksh 180,000 per acre.
