Glacier FarmMedia – The Manitoba government’s pulse specialist said it’s likely there will be more dry bean acres seeded in the province this spring.
Dennis Lange said projections indicate there will be 180,000 to 200,000 acres devoted to dry beans in Manitoba this spring. In 2023, 142,300 acres were grown according to Statistics Canada. He estimated the 2023-24 average yield for dry beans in Manitoba to be between 1,800 to 2,000 pounds per acre, down from 2,000 last year and 2,300 in 2022-23.
“The black and pinto beans are going to make up the majority of that increase, with navys, kidneys, (cranberries), pinks and some of those other types mixed into that,” Lange said. “But I think we’ll see more pinto and black acres.”
However, he added that dry conditions would not be the major obstacle preventing the expansion of acres, but rather a lack of seed supply.
“If growers are trying beans, they may be a little bit more limited in the availability on some of the more desirable types of pintos. They may have to start looking at other varieties. Growers will have to start looking pretty hard at finding seed, if they already haven’t done that,” Lange added.
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He also said if there is a dry spring, growers will have to pay attention to seeding depth.
“Typically three-quarter to an inch-and-a-half is the desirable planting depth for beans. I like to see beans planted into moisture, but I don’t like to see them planted at two inches. Pushing through that depth can be too challenging for a bean,” Lange said.
Soybean acres are also expected to increase in Manitoba at between 1.8 to two million acres, compared to 1.595 million in 2023-24, according to Lange. He also expects soybeans and dry beans to fill a void left by a potential decline in canola acres due to the oilseed’s recent low prices.
“I think there’s more of a shuffling around of acres between different crops. With dry beans, growers have to be very selective on where they plant their dry beans. They have to make sure the soil type is conducive to good yields and making sure that it will be the right choice for that piece of ground,” Lange added.
— Adam Peleshaty reports for MarketsFarm from Stonewall, Man.
Soybean acres also expected to increase
Fuente: Alberta Farm Express