Which month is best for sowing broad beans?

Broad bean, also known as broad bean, orchid bean, southern bean, and Luohan bean, is a small grain plant. The suitable temperature for broad bean germination is 15 to 20 degrees, and the suitable temperature for seedling growth is 10 to 15 degrees. Let’s learn below which month is best for sowing broad beans?

Which month is best for sowing broad beans?

Choosing the right sowing time is an important factor in ensuring the healthy growth of broad beans. Generally, broad beans can be sown in spring or autumn. The spring sowing period is from mid-to-late March to early April, and the autumn sowing period is from early October to early November to avoid the flowering period being affected by low temperature and frost. The right sowing time helps to achieve full and strong seedlings.

Key points for broad bean cultivation

1. Variety selection

It is preferred to purchase commercial broad bean seeds , or use self-saved seeds, but avoid using old seeds that are more than 2-3 years old to ensure a higher germination and emergence rate. Choose broad bean varieties that are adapted to the local environment, produce many pods, large pods, large grains, high and stable yields, and are disease and drought resistant. Choose seeds with full, uniform grains, bright color, and no mildew, diseases or insect pests.

2. Planting site selection

Avoid continuous cropping and crop rotation with leguminous crops to avoid affecting plant growth and increasing the risk of pests and diseases. It is recommended to rotate with gramineous crops such as wheat, corn, and rice, or cash crops such as potatoes and rapeseed.

Choose a plot of land with sufficient sunlight, flat or higher terrain. The soil should be deep, fertile, loose and transparent, rich in organic matter, and well-drained. Avoid shaded, low-lying, waterlogged, compacted, and saline-alkali land. The ideal soil is fine sandy loam or light sandy soil.

3. Seeding management

Dry the seeds for 2-3 days before sowing to sterilize and increase germination activity. Rhizobia or ammonium molybdate can be used to mix seeds to improve nitrogen fixation ability and yield. Use fungicides and insecticides to mix seeds to prevent and control diseases and pests during the seedling stage. The sowing method can be row sowing or spot sowing, with a plant spacing of 15-20 cm, a row spacing of 25-30 cm, and 6000-7000 seedlings per mu. The sowing depth is 4-6 cm and the sowing amount is 6-10 kg/mu.

4. Weed control management

Within 1-3 days after sowing, spray the entire field with soil-sealing herbicides, then cover the field with plastic film or spread straw. No more closed herbicides are used after emergence. Thin out the seedlings in time after they emerge, keep the strong ones and remove the weak ones, and transplant them densely to fill in the gaps.

5. Fertilization management

The base fertilizer is mainly decomposed organic fertilizer , with a small amount of nitrogen fertilizer and potassium fertilizer, and more phosphorus fertilizer and calcium fertilizer. For ordinary plots, apply 200-300 kg of commercial organic fertilizer or more than 2,000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu, combined with 4-6 kg of urea + 10-15 kg of potassium sulfate + 30-40 kg of superphosphate.

Generally, no fertilizer is required during the seedling stage. If the growth is weak, you can use dilute manure and urine water or urea water to irrigate at the 6-leaf stage, or spray urea water + potassium dihydrogen phosphate + ammonium molybdate 1-2 times. The first topdressing is during the initial flowering period, applying 10-15 kg of balanced compound fertilizer per mu, and spraying 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate + 0.3% boric acid + 0.15% ammonium molybdate foliar fertilizer . During the period of heavy flowering and podding, apply 15-20 kg of high-potassium compound fertilizer and spray foliar fertilizer 1-2 times, once every 7-10 days.

6. Watering management

Keep the soil moist after sowing until seedlings emerge. From the time the seedlings emerge to the time when buds and flowers appear, water less if the soil is not short of water to promote deep rooting. A large amount of water is required during the flowering and pod-setting period, and water should be applied once at the early stage of bud formation and the concentrated pod-setting period.

7. Pruning and controlling growth

When the soil has sufficient moisture and nutrients, broad beans tend to grow vigorously. Proper pruning and growth control can help improve yield and quality.

Pruning: pinch off the core leaves of the main stem after 3-4 leaves to promote the growth of side branches. After the flowers fade, cut off the top 3 cm to promote more flowering and pod formation.

Control growth: If there is continuous rain in the early growth stage, use 15% paclobutrazol 20-30 grams per mu and spray 1-2 times.

8. Intertillage and weeding

Broad beans need to form a well-developed root system in soft and permeable soil, and the soil should be tilled and loosened twice to break up the compacted topsoil and control weeds in the field.

The above are the key technologies for broad bean cultivation and management. Mastering these key points can improve the yield and quality of broad beans. When sowing, you should consider the actual climatic conditions of your location.