The network now has five years worth of in depth crop data and the NCS project, led by PGRO has allowed us to take a deeper look into the bean YEN data. Building upon the 2019-2021 analysis (White et al., 2022 AAB 181, 137-151) and following a similar format to the Pea YEN data analysis to do several things:
1) Investigate the data we have collected as a network of farmers, industry and scientists over the last 5 years to understand how the variation of the different crop metrics we have measured associates with yield. This will help us prioritise targets within our own on farm testing or as larger research projects.
2) Highlight where the Bean YEN has helped our understanding of UK faba bean crop growth and development so we can better manage our crops.
3) Compare and contrast information about bean crops from other climates and countries to sense check whether the learnings from international research are relevant to UK crops.
The full report which can be accessed below highlights what we have learned so far, including the associations of seasonal conditions, organic material input, crop development timings and pea crop physiology with yield.
A huge thank you to all the growers, agronomists and sponsors who have helped grow the network over the years.
Bean YEN 2023 sponsors