Faba Beans
Vicia faba
One of the oldest crops grown, a high source of protein in human diets, and important as a fodder and a forage crop for stock.
Faba beans are an erect, tall crop 1 - 2.5 m and have the ability to tiller. Depending on variety 1 - 3 tillers are common. The plant has a deep taproot with abundant of feeder roots which fix nitrogen to the soil. Flowering begins at 20 cm in height and grows in clusters of 3 - 8, with each flower cluster producing 1 - 5 pods. As the crop ripens,s it turns black, with the seed pods becoming ripe from the lowest and working up the stem to the top.
Pros
- is a nitrogen-fixing plant
- a valuable component of the arable cropping rotation
- excellent break crop enhances cereal yield decreases the occurrence of take-all
- fits well into a sustainable cropping programme
- stubble residue is a nutrition source for stock feed
- have the potential to improve soil fertility and structure through the deep taproots and nitrogen-fixing ability of the crop
- as a break crop in the rotation, faba beans allow for an alternative approach to disease, pest and weed management
- can tolerate mild winter frosts but the optimum growing temperature is 15 - 25oC
- tolerates water logging and acid soil types better than other grain legumes
- does best with soil pH ranging from neutral to alkaline pH of 7.0 to 9.0. the liming before establishment many be beneficial
Cons
- the crop may suffer moisture stress in soils that dry quickly
- flowers will abort if temperatures exceed 27°C
- sensitive to hot, dry conditions during podding and may require irrigation
- little tolerance for compacted or impaired soils
- sensitive to herbicide residue present in the ground at the establishment
Mixture
A valuable component of annual mixes which include herbs, legumes and grasses