When is the best time to sow broad beans in Henan?

Broad bean, also known as fava bean, is rich in nutritional value and contains 8 essential amino acids. It is a crop used as food, vegetable, feed and green manure. It is also a common crop, so when is the best time to sow broad beans in Henan?

1. When is the best time to sow broad beans in Henan?

The sowing time for broad beans in Henan is from early March to mid-April. Broad bean cultivation is divided into spring sowing and autumn sowing. Due to the influence of temperature, the northern regions can only carry out spring sowing.

2. Cultivation methods for broad beans

1. Seed selection and sowing

The broad bean seeds selected should be excellent local varieties. Plow the selected soil, and at the same time dig furrows and form beds, with the furrows connected to each other. In fields with poor drainage, the furrows should be dug deeper, and the bed surface should not be too wide. After digging the furrows and breaking up the soil, make holes and sow by dibbling, then cover the seeds with fine manure or fine soil to ensure germination.

2. Seedling stage management

During the seedling stage, corresponding control methods should be adopted according to the condition of the seedlings. After sowing, cover with soil and then with rice straw to maintain temperature and humidity. At the mid-growth stage, pest and disease control should be done well: handle affected plants, remove diseased residues and weeds, and destroy them in a centralized manner. Spray pesticides to control pests, diseases and rodents, control moisture well, and tidy the branches and seedlings. Ensure the normal development of the plants. In the later stage, ensure the plants' water requirements, control the density well, and maintain good ventilation and light penetration in the field.

3. Fertilization

Before sowing, a base fertilizer can be applied, mainly farmyard manure. When broad beans have 3-4 leaves, use 2-3 kg of urea, 10-20 kg of ordinary superphosphate, and 5-10 kg of potash fertilizer per mu. Mix the three fertilizers, dilute with water, and pour at the roots. The flowering and pod-setting stage is the peak period of fertilizer demand in the entire life of broad beans, with nitrogen accounting for 80% of the total fertilizer applied during the whole growth period, phosphorus 90%, and potassium 63%. Generally, use 3-5 kg of urea and 5 kg of potash fertilizer per mu, dilute with water, and pour at the roots. In addition, potassium dihydrogen phosphate or molybdenum fertilizer can be selected for foliar spraying to increase the 100-grain weight.

4. Irrigation and pruning

Broad bean is a crop that requires a relatively large amount of water. During the seedling stage, there are few leaves and the temperature is low, so irrigation is generally not carried out. During the flowering and pod stage, budding stage and seed-filling stage, there must be sufficient water. Timely irrigation for flowering and podding, budding, and seed filling is the foundation for ensuring the normal growth of broad beans. When the main stem leaves grow to 3-4 clusters of compound leaves, timely remove 1-2 clusters of leaves from the top of the main stem, and after the beginning of spring, remove ineffective branches and weak branches.

5. Intertillage and pruning

After emergence, check promptly, and if missing seedlings are found, replant immediately. During the seedling stage, frequently carry out intertillage and weeding, and pat the soil firm and thick to prevent lodging. Around the flowering period, pay more attention to the branching of the seedlings. Branches of broad beans find it difficult to set pods, so excess branches should be cut off to allow the main stem to absorb more nutrients, increase the fruiting rate, and improve the plumpness rate.

6. Timely harvesting

When harvesting broad beans, it can be done in batches, from bottom to top, about once a week. Some mature seeds can be kept. When the leaves fall, pick the pods from the middle and lower parts, dry them in the sun, and then open the pods to store the broad beans.

Whether planting broad beans in autumn in the south or in spring in the north, we all need to choose the planting environment according to the growth habits of broad beans.