A Detailed Guide to Fava Bean Sowing Time and Greenhouse Cultivation Methods

There is a saying that left a deep impression on me about fava beans, “if you are a vegetarian and crave meat, you can use fava beans as a substitute”, which alone shows just how delicious and nutritious fava beans are. Fava beans have many uses: they can serve not only as a grain but also as a vegetable, and also as feed, and are even used as green manure. Because fava beans are highly adaptable, tolerant of low temperatures and also resistant to high temperatures, though generally not exceeding 30°C, they are grown in many parts of our country. So roughly when should fava beans be sown? What are the greenhouse cultivation methods?

I. When are fava beans sown?

It is understood that different places have different planting times and methods for fava beans, and fava beans need different temperatures at different growth stages.

In the south, autumn fava beans are generally sown around October; along the Yangtze River, the sowing time is concentrated between Cold Dew and Frost Descent, which means late October in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, mid-October in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, late October in South China and Zhejiang, and early or mid-October in Yunnan, Guizhou and other places; winter fava beans are generally sown after the rice harvest.

In the north and northwest regions, spring fava beans are generally sown around mid-March to mid-April, that is, sown immediately after the soil thaws.

Before sowing fava beans, be careful not to choose a plot that has been continuously cropped, as this makes them prone to disease; choose high-quality fava bean seeds to ensure yield; before sowing, sun-dry the fava bean seeds for 1-2 days to increase seed vigor and ensure the germination rate; the temperature at sowing time must be suitable, and the suitable temperature for seed germination is between 16-25°C.

II. What are the fava bean cultivation methods?

(1) Fava bean cultivation patterns

1. Intercropping and relay intercropping

The advantage of this cultivation pattern is more effective use of light, temperature, soil and water, improving production efficiency and yield. The most common is mixed cropping of fava beans and rapeseed, mainly using the width of the land: wider strips are planted with rapeseed and narrower strips with fava beans, and generally a good harvest can be obtained.

2. Crop rotation

In western and northern China, the rotation patterns are fava bean—wheat—potato, fava bean—wheat—flax, fava bean—wheat—corn, etc., generally on a three-year cycle.

The main rotation patterns in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and to the south are:

First year: fava bean—early rice—late rice (in double-cropping regions, single-season rice);

Second year: barley (wheat)—early rice—late rice (or single-season rice);

Third year: rapeseed—early rice—late rice (or single-season rice).

(2) Steps of fava bean cultivation methods

1. Seed selection and germination

Choosing fava bean seeds is very important. Generally, the seeds should be uniform in size, and large, plump, fresh fava bean seeds are best. At room temperature, soak the fava bean seeds for one day and then begin germination. Remember to keep the fava bean seeds moist throughout this process. After about three days they will show white sprouts; at this point, place them in a refrigerator at 4-6°C. After half a month of low-temperature treatment, the fava bean seedlings can be kept at room temperature for 2 days.

2. Fava bean planting out

As mentioned earlier, fava beans should not be continuously cropped because they are susceptible to transmitted diseases, so we should choose a greenhouse in which no leguminous plants have been grown for planting out. Remember to keep the soil moist, watering while transplanting. At the same time, there should be replacement seedlings in case they are needed.

3. Autumn management of greenhouse fava beans

(1) Watering. The autumn air is dry, so it is very necessary to water promptly to ensure the plants grow new branches and buds.

(2) Topping. When the main stem of the fava bean grows to about 8 cm, with roughly 1 heart leaf and 3 leaves, you can top it one week after transplanting (3) topping. The main purpose is to promote branching.

(4) Preventing fava bean deformity. Autumn temperatures are not low, which can easily cause fava bean flowers and pods to drop and become deformed, so we should spray chemicals to prevent this.

(5) Pest and disease control. In autumn, fava beans are prone to aphids, and high temperatures also make them prone to bacterial wilt, so prevention should be done in advance, and treatment should be timely once symptoms are found, so as not to affect the pod-setting rate.

4. Winter management of greenhouse fava beans

(1) Covering the greenhouse with film. During the flowering and pod-setting period of fava beans, attention must be paid to preventing freezing damage, because in mid-November the temperature difference between day and night is very large, and the greenhouse must be covered with film to prevent frost. In December, the weather becomes colder, so the greenhouse should be closed promptly to keep warm, but when the temperature rises at noon, the door should also be opened for ventilation. When the temperature rises again in spring, the greenhouse covering can be removed.

(2) Pinching and pruning. On sunny days we should pinch off the growing tips to prevent the plants from growing too tall and to ensure their nutrients are concentrated in the main stem.

(3) Increasing the pod-setting rate. When the plants are too dense, old leaves should be pruned appropriately to ensure effective growth.

(4) Harvesting. Generally, fava beans are harvested around the Spring Festival, when the fava bean seeds are large enough and can be brought to market in a concentrated way. After harvesting, the branches and buds should be cut off promptly to prevent them from affecting the subsequent growth of new branches and buds.