Legume production
Legume crops are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen due to a symbiotic relation with
nitrogen fixing bacteria e.g. field beans, soya beans, groundnuts, peas etc.
Field bean production
• These are grown mainly for dry beans
Soil requirements
• The crop does well in most soil types as long as they are well drained especially sandy
loams that are well manured.
• Heavy soils must be avoided as they crust easily but if these cannot be avoided keep them
moist by mulching.
• A pH range of 5.0 to 7.5 is ideal, but the optimum is about 6.0 to 6.5.
Climatic requirements
• Field beans are a warm season crop but can be grown in winter depending on the climate
of the area in Zimbabwe.
• The crop is grown in summer in the Highveld and Middleveld and during the dry season in
the Lowveld.
• Long periods of heavy rain or watering causes flower drop hence no pod formation, as
well as increased disease problems.
• Temperatures higher than 38oC will also lead to flower drop and abortion of pods.
• The optimum temperatures are 25-30oC.
• Sugar beans are sensitive to frost and are damaged at all stages and so must be protected if
temperatures go below 15oC.
• Night temperatures below 5oC during pod formation will result in pods that are usually
hollow and partially filled, but if they are well developed and nearing maturity they may
be thickened and sickle-necked.
• Irrigation is required in dry periods.
Planting
• Field beans are directly sown between December and March.
• They are sown singly 5-7 cm apart in rows spaced 20-30 cm apart.
• In light medium soils a depth of 4-5 cm is ideal and 3-4 cm in heavy soil.
• On heavy soils, mulch with grass or fill holes with sand to prevent crusting. A seed rate of
100 kg/ha is required. Seeds should germinate within 7-10 days.
Fertilizer requirements
• Apply 200 kg/ha Compound L as basal dressing
• Top dressing should be done at the onset of flowering with 100 kg/ha AN.
Crop management
Irrigation
• Water carefully during germination to avoid exposing the seed.
• Water requirements are critical at flowering and pod filling and setting.
• Field beans are shallow rooted so they should be supported by heaping soil or mulching to
support the stem
Weed control
• Early weed control is very important because field beans compete poorly
• At a later stage, weeds hamper harvesting and threshing processes and adversely affect
quality of the crop
• Mechanical weed control involves removal of weed during seedbed preparation by tillage
systems and cultivation between rows then removal of weeds within rows by hoeing or
hand pulling
• Chemical weed control is implemented through the application of pre-emergence
herbicides e.g. dual magnum, Eptam, senco and lasso, and post-emergence herbicides e.g.
fusillade, classic and basagran
Pest control Aphids
• Suck sap from shoots and results in curled leaves, stunted growth and honeydew secretion
that promote growth of sooty moulds
• Aphids also transmit mosaic virus when feeding
• Control is through spraying dimethoate, malathion, carbaryl or metasystox at first
appearance of the aphids
Bean stem maggot
• Mine through the leaves to the stem base where they form a swelling, cause leaves to turn
yellow and wilt, and the plants fall over at or near ground level
• Stem maggots are controlled by mixing the seed with dieldrin at 1.5l/100 kg and allow it
to dry before planting
• Spraying diazinon also controls the pest on crops
Semi-loopers
• Their larvae eat leaves and pods
• They can be controlled by spraying the crop with carbaryl
Red spider mite
• Suck cell sap causing silvering and mottling of leaves
• They are controlled by spraying dicofol or malathion
Disease control Powdery
mildew (fungal)
• Appears as a white powder on the upper leaf surfaces, leaf petioles, stems and pods
• Severely affected leaves turn yellow and die
• Control by spraying dithane M45, copper oxychloride or mancozeb and using certified
seeds
Bacterial blight
• Appears as water soaked spots on lower surfaces of leaves, pods and stem
• Infected seed can have yellow lesions and become wrinkled
• Control by spraying dithane M45 or mancozeb
Rust (fungal)
• Appears as brown pustules with a yellow surrounding on the lower leaf surface
• Control is through spraying with dithane M45
Leaf mosaic virus
• A light green yellow and dark green mosaic pattern develops on the leaves accompanied
by puckering, blistering, distortion, curling and rolling of leaves
• It causes stunting of plants, reduced flowering and reduced yields
• Control the aphids which transmit the virus and use of certified seeds
Harvesting
• Field beans are ready for harvesting after about 80-140 days from planting
• The leaves turn yellow and dry off while pods turn yellow
• Pods must not completely dry to reduce shattering during harvesting
• The beans are ready for harvesting when the moisture content drops to 15%
• Harvesting can be done by hand picking and threshing the pods on a small scale or hand
pulling the plants, heaping or bagging then driving a tractor over them while smaller
quantities are threshed by beating in a bag and winnowed by hand
• Harvesting on large scale commercial production is done by combined harvesters which
cut, thresh and winnow them
Marketing
• They can be sold to the fresh market for use as relish or for industrial processing
• Dry beans are sold in 50kg bags to the GMB or private buyers
