Beans are one of the best-suited protein crops for Irish conditions, but they are still far from perfect. They suffer yield variability, there is insufficient variety development, harvest can be late and there is limited agronomic information. These problems continue, even though field beans have relatively high yield potential. In addition, the area sown to beans remains relatively low compared to the national need for protein.

In response to these challenges, Teagasc is seeking the cooperation of bean growers. It wants to find out the main difficulties experienced by growers and to ascertain if grower actions may be causing this yield variability.

Dr Ewen Mullins, Teagasc, Oak Park, said that being able to capture farmer actions could prove extremely valuable in understanding the nature of yield variability. To this end, Teagasc is asking bean growers to complete a short online survey. This can be done by entering https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HFDFQQ8 into a phone or computer web browser.

A better understanding of the main yield variables would help focus future advice and guide research, Dr Mullins said. Such information is increasingly important due to the increasing need for home-grown protein sources.

The survey takes about 10-15 minutes, but the information generated could prove far more valuable. So, if you grew beans in 2020, share your experiences with the researchers to help make the crop more successful.