Why peas and beans could be the answer to high fertiliser prices

The figure for spring peas is €459, and beans €521/ha.

Peas at 4.0t/ha will leave a gross margin, including the protein payment, of €339/ha, and a 5.0t/ha crop of beans will leave a gross margin of €492/ha.

These compare favourably to spring cereals at yields of 7.5-8.0t/ha.

Before everyone jumps on the bandwagon of growing beans or peas, there are a few factors that need to be taken into account.

With peas, the biggest concerns are harvesting them when they are stuck to the floor and the constant attacks of pigeons — so there is plenty of shooting practice.

There was quite a bit of interest at last year’s Teagasc Crops Open day in some work looking at pea plots with some beans planted in them in an effort to keep the peas standing, making them easier to harvest.

For most people, harvesting a lodged crop is not an attractive proposition especially when harvest pressure is at its highest in August — this generally turns them off growing peas.

So most farmers opt for beans, but these are not without their risks too and from the harvest reports last year, we saw a range of yields from 2.5t/ha up to 6.0t/ha.

Here are a few thing to consider:

■ Beans like soils that hold moisture and don’t dry out during the summer — this will affect growth and pod set which will in turn reduce yield.

Peas are much more suited to light soils, which is why most are grown in the Athy and Carlow areas.

■ Trials in Oak Park clearly show that growing beans on low-fertility sites — index 1 or 2 for P and K —will limit yield.

No matter how much fertiliser P&K are used you will not achieve the same yield as crops grown on index 3 soils.

■ Beans and peas offer an opportunity to control grass weeds such as sterile brome, volunteer cereals and wild oats, which can be much more difficult to control in cereal crops.

■ Broadleaf weed control is usually pre-emergence and very limited, with weeds such as sow thistle, corn marigold and orache more difficult to control.

■ Beans ideally should be sown in good conditions in February or March, but soil conditions are more important than the date.

We have seen plenty of crops drilled early in poor conditions, especially with low-disturbance systems, which grow poorly afterwards. Crops drilled in April rarely perform well.

■ Beans are normally harvested in mid to late September but can sometimes be delayed into October.

So fields that are prone to being soft underfoot at that time of year should be avoided. Harvest days are short, so only plant what you can harvest in two or three harvest days at that time.

■ Beans and peas fix their own nitrogen and so don’t require any chemical N. This nitrogen will be available to the following crop, resulting in savings for the 2023 crop as well, particularly if the price of fertilisers remains high.

Europe is not self-sufficient in proteins and relies on imported soya from the Americas. Most if not all of this is GM soya, but that’s a debate for another day.

The protein scheme will continue to subsidise growers to grow proteins for the home market in the coming years.

A ‘Protein Stakeholder Group’ comprising industry stakeholders, farmers and Teagasc is looking at all aspects of protein production in this country to try increase production, consumption and profitability of proteins into the future.

Their work will be important at all levels in the industry, from seed to feed.

Shay Phelan is a Teagasc Crops and Potato specialist

*This article was updated on February 3, 2022, to correct the authors name.