When are broad beans planted and where do they come from?
I believe everyone has eaten broad beans, so when should broad beans be planted? Where do broad beans come from? I believe no one has ever been curious about this, and no one has ever understood it either. So, to help everyone better understand broad beans, I have compiled the following information to introduce what broad beans are, for reference only.
When to plant broad beans
The planting time of broad beans varies in different regions, and the planting methods also differ. In the rice paddies of the south, winter broad beans should be sown promptly after the rice harvest. Along the Yangtze River, the sowing time is between Cold Dew and Frost Descent. In the double-cropping rice areas of South China, it is around Minor Snow. In the north, sowing is generally done promptly after the spring thaw.
Where broad beans come from
Broad beans can be grown in most provinces across the country. South of the Yangtze River, autumn sowing and winter growing are predominant, while north of the Yangtze River, early spring sowing is predominant. Except for Shandong, Hainan and the three northeastern provinces, where broad beans are rarely grown, all other provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) grow broad beans. Among them, the autumn-sowing areas of Yunnan, Sichuan, Hubei and Jiangsu have larger planting areas and yields, accounting for 85%, while the spring-sowing areas of Gansu, Qinghai, Hebei and Inner Mongolia account for 15%. Yunnan has the largest broad bean planting area, accounting for 23.7% of the national total, with perennial planting of around 350,000 hectares, mainly autumn-sown.
Sowing methods for broad beans
1. Fine soil preparation: Broad beans are deep-rooted crops. Fine soil preparation before sowing can make the soil soft and loose, which is beneficial to root expansion and the formation of root nodules.
2. Rhizobium inoculation: Inoculating with rhizobia before sowing can increase yield. Inoculation methods include soil inoculation and seed inoculation. Soil inoculation involves taking about 50 kg of topsoil from land where broad beans were grown the previous year and evenly scattering it in the sowing furrows at sowing time. Seed inoculation involves diluting rhizobium powder with water at sowing time, then mixing it evenly with the seeds before sowing. Cover with soil immediately after sowing to prevent the rhizobia from being killed by direct sunlight.
3. Sowing time: The planting time of broad beans varies in different regions, and the planting methods also differ. In the rice paddies of the south, winter broad beans should be sown promptly after the rice harvest. Along the Yangtze River, the sowing time is between Cold Dew and Frost Descent. In the double-cropping rice areas of South China, it is around Minor Snow. In the north, sowing is generally done promptly after the spring thaw.
4. Sowing density: Sowing density should be determined according to factors such as cultivation purpose, variety characteristics, soil fertility and fertilization level. Generally, those grown for grain should be sparser than those grown for green fodder or green manure. Varieties with a long growing period, tall plants and many branches should be sparser than those with a short growing period and short plants. Low soil fertility and low fertilization levels call for denser planting. Usually, large-seeded varieties have a basic seedling population of 10,000 to 13,000 per mu, while small-seeded varieties have about 24,000 per mu, with a sowing rate of 10 to 12 kg per mu.
Field management of broad beans
1. Seedling-stage management measures: At the seedling stage, according to the condition of the seedlings, control water or irrigate to achieve sturdy and strong seedlings, ensuring uniform, even and strong seedlings. For clayey, sticky bean fields, cover with grass promptly after sowing to keep warm and retain moisture.
2. Mid-stage management measures: Do a good job in forecasting and reporting pests and diseases, promptly control damage from pests, diseases, weeds and rodents, and manage water well. Carry out field pruning and thinning, pull out weak and diseased plants, and ensure healthy growth of the population.
3. Late-stage management measures: Ensure the water demand during the grain-filling stage, keeping soil moisture content at 20—25%. If it falls below 18—20%, irrigation must be carried out immediately. For high-yield fields and late-maturing fields, top and pinch the growing tips at the end of flowering and the tip-dispersing stage to facilitate ventilation and light penetration, increase grain weight and promote early maturity.
4. Precautions: Broad beans should not be grown continuously. Continuous cropping makes the plants sterile, reduces the number of rhizobia, lowers their activity, results in fewer pods and more disease. At least 3 years of crop rotation should be practiced when growing broad beans. Broad beans adapt to slightly heavy and moist soil, but it is best to cultivate them on deep, fertile clay loam or sandy loam. Harvest tender broad bean pods at the right time, which can be done in several pickings, harvesting from bottom to top, each time about 7-10 days apart. For the later harvest of mature seeds, they can be harvested when the broad bean leaves wither and the middle and lower pods are fully mature, then sun-dried, threshed and stored.
Although broad beans mainly grew there originally, now due to the development of science and technology, they are no longer constrained by geographical restrictions. They can be cultivated in various places and can also be planted at any time, so everyone can eat fresh broad beans all year round.