How much do broad bean seeds cost? With growing methods
Broad bean, also known as luohandou, hudou, lanhuadou and so on, is an annual herbaceous plant of the genus Vicia in the Fabaceae family. It is said that Zhang Qian of the Western Han Dynasty introduced it to the Central Plains from the Western Regions. It is cultivated throughout China and is a crop used for grain, vegetables, feed and green manure, and can also be grown as a honey source plant. Let us take a look at broad bean seed prices and growing methods together!
How much is a jin of broad bean seeds?
The price of broad bean seeds is about 6-8 yuan per jin, but prices vary greatly depending on the variety, quality and market of the seeds. There are many varieties of broad bean seeds. Generally, large-seeded varieties with strong drought tolerance and later maturity are suitable for dry land planting, with 4000-5000 hills per mu and 2-3 seeds sown per hill, using 15-18 jin of seed per mu. Small-seeded varieties that mature earlier and have stronger moisture tolerance are suitable for paddy field planting, with 5000-6000 hills per mu and 2-3 seeds sown per hill, using 12-15 jin of seed per mu. In terms of yield, different varieties differ, and yields also vary according to weather and environment. Generally, the yield per mu is 300-400 jin, with the highest yield reaching 550-580 jin.
Growing conditions for broad beans
Broad bean grows in warm wetlands at 63° north latitude and tolerates low temperatures of ~4℃, but fears heat. Its temperature requirements vary with the growth stage. The suitable temperature for seed germination is 16-25℃, the minimum temperature is 3-4℃, and the maximum temperature is 30-35℃. During the vegetative growth period, the required temperature is lower, with a minimum temperature of 14-16℃, while the flowering and fruiting stage requires 16-22℃. If exposed to low temperatures below ~4℃, the aboveground part will suffer frost damage. Although broad bean can fix nitrogen from the air through rhizobia, it still needs to absorb large amounts of various elements from the soil for its growth, and nutrient deficiency often causes various physiological diseases.
Sowing methods for broad beans
1. Fine land preparation: Broad bean is a deep-rooted crop. Fine land preparation before sowing can make the soil loose, which is beneficial to root expansion and the formation of root nodules.
2. Inoculation methods: Inoculation with rhizobia before sowing broad beans can increase yield. Inoculation methods include soil inoculation and seed inoculation.
① Soil inoculation: Soil inoculation involves taking about 50 kg of topsoil from land where broad beans were planted the previous year and evenly scattering it in the sowing furrows at sowing time.
② Seed inoculation: Seed inoculation involves diluting rhizobium powder with water at sowing time, then mixing it evenly with the seeds before sowing.
3. Sowing time: The sowing time of broad beans differs in different regions. In southern paddy fields, sowing should be done promptly after rice harvest; along the Yangtze River, it 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 should be done promptly after the spring thaw.
4. Sowing density: The sowing density of broad beans should be determined according to actual conditions. When harvesting seeds, it should be sparser than when grown for green fodder or green manure. Varieties with a long growth period, tall plants and many branches should be sparser than those with a short growth period and short plants. Where soil fertility is low and fertilization levels are low, it should be denser.
Growing methods for broad beans
1. Seedling stage management: During the seedling stage of broad beans, water should be controlled or irrigated according to seedling conditions to achieve sturdy seedlings, ensuring uniform, even and strong seedlings. In sticky clay bean fields, cover with grass promptly after sowing to keep warm and retain moisture.
2. Mid-stage management: Do a good job in forecasting and reporting diseases, insects and pests, promptly control damage from diseases, insects, weeds and rodents, manage water well, carry out pruning and thinning in the field, pull out weak and diseased plants, and ensure healthy growth of the population.
3. Late-stage management: Ensure the water demand during the grain-filling stage so that the soil moisture content remains at 20-25%. If it is below 18-20%, irrigation must be applied. For high-yield fields and late-maturing fields, topping and pinching the growing tips should be carried out at the end of flowering and the tip-dispersing stage, which helps ventilation and light penetration, increases grain weight and promotes early maturity.
4. Reasonable fertilization: After sowing broad beans, cover with 1500-2000 kg/mu of high-quality barnyard manure or an appropriate amount of rice straw, and at the 2.5-3 leaf stage of the bean seedlings apply 30 kg/mu of calcium superphosphate and 10-15 kg/mu of potassium sulfate.
5. Drought and waterlogging prevention: Broad beans fear both drought and waterlogging. If field drainage is poor, root development is poor and damping-off and rust are likely to occur. If drought occurs, especially during the flowering and pod-setting stage, the impact on yield is even more serious. Timely drainage and irrigation should be carried out according to growth needs.
6. Timely harvest: Broad bean maturity starts from the lower pods. If harvesting green beans for use as vegetables, they can be harvested 3 to 4 times from bottom to top. If harvesting mature seeds, harvest all at once after the middle and lower pods of most plants turn black.
Pest and disease control for broad beans
1. Broad bean damping-off
[Damage] The disease can occur at all growth stages of broad beans, but is more severe at the tender pod stage. It mainly infects the stem base or underground parts of broad beans, and also infects seeds. When the stem base is infected, black lesions often appear on one side of the stem or around the stem, causing the stem to turn black.
[Control] At the early stage of the disease, spray 58% metalaxyl-mancozeb wettable powder 500 solution, or 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder 600-700 solution, or 21% imidacloprid-manganese-carbendazim wettable powder 800-1000 times liquid, or 20% tolclofos-methyl emulsifiable concentrate 1100-1200 solution, etc.
2. Broad bean chocolate spot
[Damage] Small red spots first appear on the leaves, and the spots gradually expand into round or oval lesions. In severe cases, all parts turn black and wither, and black sclerotia are present on the inner wall of the stems.
[Control] At the early stage of the disease, spray Bordeaux mixture at 1:2:100, then spray 50% carbendazim 500 times liquid once every 10 days, for 2-3 consecutive sprays. Spraying Bordeaux mixture at the early stage is better than spraying carbendazim.
3. Broad bean rust
[Damage] Rust spots appear on the leaves until the leaves dry up. In severe cases, the entire plant dies.
[Control] 50 g of 15% triadimefon can be mixed with 50-60 kg of water and sprayed, using 40-60 kg of spray liquid per mu. About 20 days after application, spray once more.
4. Broad bean Fusarium wilt
[Damage] Fusarium wilt mainly causes the roots to turn black, with a short main root and few lateral roots, yellowing leaf color, a wilting appearance of the plant, and drooping stems and leaves at the top.
[Control] At the early stage of the disease, 50% thiophanate-methyl 500 times liquid can be poured on the roots, applied 2-3 times, with good control effects.
5. American serpentine leafminer
[Damage] The American serpentine leafminer feeds on green tissue as larvae, creating irregular grayish-white linear tunnels. When damage is severe, almost all leaf tissue is affected, the leaves are covered with boring tunnels, and they may even wither and die.
[Control] To control the larvae, carry out treatments several times in succession, once every 5-6 days. You can use "Banqianjing" 500 times liquid, or "Aweidu" 800 times liquid, or 40% "omethoate" emulsifiable concentrate 1000 times liquid, etc.