Early season, The Bean Report

The Bean Report – May 11, 2022

MAY 11, 2022

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Seeding Timing Considerations

Conditions across Manitoba vary widely and seeding timing is still unknown for many farmers, especially given the rain forecasted across parts of the province this week. Many are wondering about seeding timing of pulses and what these late seeding conditions may mean for these crops. Below are some considerations to help you prioritize as you prepare to get into the field and seed your pulse and soybean crops.

  • Consider seeding depth for rapid emergence. due to the large seed size of pulses and soybeans, aim to seed them at least 1/2″ into moisture. With delayed seeding, consider recommended seeding depth ranges. If moisture is available, seeding shallower will speed emergence. Seeding depth recommendations are 1.5 to 2″ for peas, 0.75 to 1.75″ for soybeans, 0.75 to 1.5″ for dry beans and 2 to 3″ for faba beans.
  • Fall frosts are generally a concern for long-season crops like soybeans. The level of frost damage depends on the growth stage and severity of frost. Begin by selecting a soybean variety suited to your region’s maturity zone, which is the average frost free period of a given region in Manitoba. If your soybean seeding is delayed, check to ensure that your variety is likely to mature before your region’s average first fall frost.

Average date of the first fall frost at 0°C.
10% risk date of the first fall frost at 0°C.
25% risk date of the first fall frost at 0°C.

Field Pea Seeding Tips

  • We’re starting to see some movement in the field but soil moisture conditions across much of the province have delayed seeding. Since we may be heading into a bit of a seeding crunch as a result, still try to prioritize putting in peas early. Aim to seed peas when the average soil temperature at depth is at least 5°C. Delaying pea seeding into late May will mean the crop will flower in the heat of July which can cause flower blasting since peas are quite sensitive to hot temperatures during flowering. So try to get peas in early, if possible, to maximize yield.
  • A good rule of thumb is to seed peas into at least ½” of moisture. Pea seed depth may range 1.5 to 2” deep, and ensuring that they have moisture to work with will aid in emergence.
  • Inoculate with Rhizobium leguminosarum bacteria and check that soil test nitrogen (N) levels are low enough to accommodate nodulation (<50 lbs N/ac).
    • Single inoculation is recommended, even on fields with a history of peas to ensure that rhizobia is effective at fixing nitrogen.
    • If the field is seeing peas for the first time, double inoculate using a peat or liquid on-seed and a granular in-furrow.
  • If using a seed treatment with your peas to combat root rots in cool, wet soils this year, check with your inoculant manufacturer to ensure compatibility between the inoculant and the seed treatment product. Use the resources below as a reference point, but be sure to check with your inoculant manufacturer to ensure compatibility.
  • Seed peas on narrow rows between 6 to 12”. Pea tendrils knit together and seeding on narrow rows will help with standability.
  • If soil crusting and sealing is likely to be an issue in your fields, note that peas may be rolled post-emergence at the 2nd to 3rd true node stages.
  • For plant populations in the field, target 7-8 live plants per square foot, (equivalent to 320-360,000 live plants/ac or 80-90 live plants/m2). With most varieties, this means you need to seed at greater rates than 3 bu/ac.
    • There is a wide variation in seed sizes among pea varieties and seed lots. So it is best to calculate your seeding rate using the thousand seed weight of your variety along with your expected emergence rate based on germination and your on-farm experience. For peas where thousand seed weights range from 200 to 300 grams/1000 seeds this can mean a seeding rate range of over 3-6 bu/ac, or 170-350 lbs/ac.

2022 Field Pea Pre-Plant/Pre-Emergent Herbicide Options

Consult the 2022 Guide to Field Crop Protection for more information.

Faba Bean Seeding Tips

  • Faba beans should also be seeded early to avoid flower blasting during the heat of July. The minimum soil temperature for faba bean germination is 3 to 5°C. They tolerate cool temperatures well and thrive with more moisture.
  • Seed depth for fabas ranges from two to three inches, ensuring adequate seed-to-soil moisture contact.
  • As with peas, inoculate with Rhizobium leguminosarum bacteria and ensure soil test N levels are relatively low.
    • Single inoculate on fields with a history of peas or faba beans and double inoculate on those fields without pulse crop history.
  • Seed fabas on narrow rows between 6 to 14”.
  • Target 45 live plants/m2 (or 180,000 live plants per acre). As with peas, there is a large range of thousand seed weights for fabas (from 300-700 grams/1000 seeds). Use your variety and seed lot’s thousand seed weight to calculate your seeding rates to establish your target plant stand. Large seed sizes of fabas also means more risk of plugging while seeding – check out PAMI’s research results on managing this issue in air seeders.

Faba Bean Herbicide Options 2022

Consult the 2022 Guide to Field Crop Protection for more information.

Meet MPSG’s 2022 Field Staff

New Production Specialist – East

Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers (MPSG) is delighted to welcome Jennifer McCombe-Théroux to the role of Production Specialist – East.

Jennifer acquired her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Manitoba in Agroecology in 2013. Since graduation, she has worked in various roles within the agriculture industry focusing on agronomy and quality of specialty crops and grain contracting. Most recently, Jennifer worked with Roquette Canada as an agronomist working with yellow pea farmers.

When Jennifer is not in the field for work you can find her out in her family’s fields – either checking cows in the pasture or checking fields in Notre Dame de Lourdes with her family. Jennifer has a great love of cooking – especially beef soup loaded with veggies! Jennifer is looking forward to working at MPSG and contributing to the great work and extension the organization provides to growers.

Agronomy Assistants

MPSG welcomed Chloe Hodgson and Mikayla Melnick to the team as Agronomy Assistants. They started earlier this week and are eager to learn more about soybean and pulse production and research in Manitoba. When asked what they were looking forward to most this season, they replied “learning more about the physiology and interactions between pulses and pests” (Chloe) and “investigating the impact of soil/seed additives on plant health and crop success” (Mikayla). If you see them in the field this summer, be sure to say hello!

Have pulse or soybean agronomy questions this growing season? We’re here to help! Contact Laura (204-751-0538, laura@manitobapulse.ca) or Jennifer (204-751-0737, jennifer@manitobapulse.ca).

Interested in an on-farm trial or results from the On-Farm Network? Contact Leanne (204-751-0439, leanne@manitobapulse.ca).