Field work: As we move into February, growers will be thinking of getting back out on land. There have been a few sprayers out in the past week or so but others still dare not look inside the gate because of wet. It is important that stubbles with a lot of strong growth be killed off as soon as possible in advance of ploughing. Having the vegetation well dead makes it easier to plough or cultivate and should help prevent direct disease or aphid transfer.

Rainfall amounts for the month to date are variable. Many areas have already received more than their average monthly rainfall, with parts of the south at nearly double. Other regions are less than normal and this helps explain why some farmers have been out on land recently. It also explains why growers in the south fear having to replant some fields when conditions permit.

There are still some winter crops to be sprayed with herbicide, etc, and the sooner this can be done the better. Having products on hand will help one to grab an opportunity but there is a chance that different products may be needed if the year moves on too far.

The fact that temperatures have increased again has pushed crops back into growth and this increases the need for nutrients soon, especially on crops like winter barley.

Beans: Growers on lighter drier land will consider planting beans once conditions are good enough. Ground conditions need to be at least reasonable to enable the crop to cope if the weather post-planting is difficult.

I am still inclined towards strip till as a planting method unless you can get the seeds down at least four inches by some other method. It is important that the seedbed around the seeds can drain freely post-planting. Strip till machines can cope with an odd damp spot better than a one-pass. Deep planting is important to prevent crow damage and to enable more roots before shoots.

Fertility is important for beans and pH needs to be up above 6.5. P and K requirement depends on soil fertility, with recommended rates of 50, 40 20 or 0 kgP/ha and 125, 50, 40 or 0 kgK/ha at soil Index 1, 2, 3 or 4 respectively. It is preferable to apply the P and K close to the seed in low fertility situations.

Seed rate should be driven by seed number and seed size. Make sure that your seed source is free of ascochyta and bean stem nematode.

The aim should be to establish 25-40 seeds/m2. Recent research seems to indicate some but little benefit in going above 30 seeds/m2 and current Teagasc research indicates that early March planting produced higher yields than late January, indicating the need for reasonable conditions both during and after planting.

The most important consideration is to make sure you have a real market for beans before you plant. The merchant trade believes that supply may exceed demand.