The first U.S. dry edible bean production forecast from the USDA ended up bigger than industry expectations but smaller than last year’s crop.  Gary Lucier in his August 27, 2009 USDA’s ‘Vegetables and Melons Outlook’ has a more optimistic yield outlook.

The estimated area available for harvest is forecast at 1.39 million acres down 4% from a year ago, with several areas reporting crop maturity as much as two weeks behind normal.

As well the report indicates a reduction in dry bean plantings by 1% — due to attractive prices for other crops.  This should see an overall decline in production of about 5%, to 24.4 million cwt. which is about a million bags / cwt. above industry expectations.   Yield estimates within the report are still favorable compared to industry guesses.

For the full USDA report click here

A personal whirlwind tour of southern Manitoba’s dry bean crop revealed the following.  This observer has never seen the area so lush and green.  In previous years harvest has been in full swing during the last week of August.  Not this year.  The few fields visited showed great variability.  A difficult planting season (wet, cold and late) saw last minute, on the fly changes to; intended crop rotations, number of acres planted to desired crops and date of planting. 

The dry bean crop for the most part looks good but the calendar should read July 15 not August 25^th.  Wide seeded rows (22-30 in.) are not boxed or filled in showing quite a bit of dirt between the rows. Solid seeded fields are a succulent light green.  In some cases plants are still flowering on the upper most runners with reasonable to good pod set below.  Generally pod fill has only just begun. White mold is the disease ‘du jour’ showing up in nearly every field visited. Heavy dews and foggy mornings need sun and warm winds before noon to dry the crop and curb the spread of the disease.  Verbal reports from other regions indicate the disease will reduce yields.  Without an approved rescue product and few if any preventative programs in place crop advisors fear the worst. 

With days growing shorter, the sun’s rays weaker and low accumulated heat units concern of the crop not “finishing” was wide spread.  An early frost would be a disaster.  More than once, each and every one of my hosts expressed the need and desire for an open and dry Fall along with a much delayed first killing frost.  This was always expressed in relation to the corn crop.

There were lots of fields of Canola with only a few showing signs of the headlands being swathed.  There was the odd field of winter wheat still not harvested.  Some swathing of spring grains was under way.  Sunflower fields were in full bloom and soybean fields look great.  For the most part soybeans showed good height and podding all along the stem but seed filling was just beginning.  Corn looked good with pollination indicating a good seed set however kernel development was still not past the early milk stage.

Minor use registration – Allegro fungicide for white mold on dry beans

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) announces URMULE registration for ALLEGRO 500F Fungicide for control of white mold (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) on dry shelled beans in Canada.  This is the 4^th minor use label expansion registration for this product in Canada and has been in the system since 2006 as a minor use label expansion (URMULE) project with the Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Pest Management Centre (AAFC-PMC).

The minor use label expansion for Allegro 500 F Fungicide is a significant step towards developing a more robust and sustainable pest management toolkit for this disease in Canada.

Allegro 500F Fungicide can be used for control of white mold on dry shelled beans at a rate of 1.0 L product per hectare in 200 to 600 L water per hectare as a foliar spray.  A maximum of two (2) applications per season can be made at an interval of 7 to 10 days.  Begin applications when plants are at early to mid-bloom (10 to 50% bloom).  Make a 2^nd application 7 to 10 days later and do not apply within 30 days of harvest for dry shelled beans. 

Allegro 500F Fungicide should be used in an integrated pest management program and in rotation with other management strategies to adequately manage resistance.

Follow all other precautions and directions for use on the Allegro 500F Fungicide label carefully.

Statistics Canada’s 20% lower production (national dry bean crop) estimates injected some concerns.  Canada’s white bean crop came in at less than half of the previous year, while coloured bean output was up slightly.

The white bean acreage/production number for Manitoba may be underestimated since crop insurance data is higher than the StatsCan numbers. 

Industry participants estimate both the US and Canadian crops at two weeks behind normal maturity, notching up concerns should there be an early frost event.  

The majority of the edible bean crop appears to be in good condition. Since late July, bean plants have displayed a good flush of growth, flowers, and pod set. The earliest planted fields (mostly cranberry beans) are beginning to turn colour.

Bean anthracnose is evident but confined to pockets of stunted, dying plants.  Early applications of fungicide appear to be doing an excellent job of controlling anthracnose.

Western bean cutworm, monitoring in Ontario has found moth catches to be low compared to those in Michigan. No larva feeding in edible beans has been found to date.

Prepare for the upcoming harvest by planning – if your fields will require a pre-harvest treatment.  The Ontario Bean Dealers are recommending that growers check with them for further details in planning and correct timing of pre-harvest treatment applications.  Fields should be checked by a crop consultant.

Statpub.com  suggests traders are divided as to acreages planted (as well as  available for harvest) and potential yields.  Regardless, the crop looks to be smaller than last year.

Thompsons IP Elite crop newsletter shows the edible bean crop benefiting from recent improved weather.  Rows have filled in, and the plants have bushed out with flowers and pods evident. The recent heat and humidity has helped the crop. There are some disease signs emerging which will need attention.
Better weather has also helped both the Michigan and Manitoba crops.

For the full details read the stories here 

The USDA is forecasting Dry bean production to be down 5% in the United States for 2009.

Planted area is forecast up 2% from the June report but still down 1% from a year ago.  Average yield has also been lowered due to late planting and below normal temperatures delaying the growing season.

The three largest producing States: North Dakota, Nebraska, and Michigan, all anticipate lower production.  Planted acreage for Navy beans the second most widely grown bean decreased by 22% from a year ago, while Pinto beans, the most widely grown market class increased 4%.  Great Northern plantings dropped 25% from 2008 and Black bean acreage was up 4%.

Statpub.com had some interesting posts on China’s dry bean sector over this past weekend.   

While North America’s dry bean market grinds to an inevitable dead stop awaiting new crop deliveries, China’s market continues to percolate “…rushing into the future.”  

Personal visits by Mr. Brian Clancey, the editor, to Chinese bean producing regions garnered the following insights:  Japanese white bean production could plummet to 100,000 Mt. (down nearly 70%) while speckled kidneys – light and red – both of which can and sometimes do compete in the Cranberry bean market could see production increases.  Increases ranging from 17 to 50%.  Black bean production could rocket nearly 12 times to 200,000 Mt. up from a mere 17,000 the year before.

First hand visual inspection by the author of visited fields did not show the expected effects of a “bad start” to the crop.  But rather “.. Plants looked to be in excellent condition.” And “… were flowering…”.

In one section of the op-ed Mr Clancey makes the following comments about the Chinese market as a source of dry beans: “The challenge facing the dry edible bean sector is making sure returns to growers stay high enough to retain interest. This is the identical challenge faced in Canada and the United States.”

China’s ability to swing production as dramatically as the figures above would indicate, plus their labour intensive ‘processing’ capabilities may give some importers using ‘just-in-time’ supply chain management techniques cause for pause.  However it is interesting to note that as global demand for Corn and Soybeans continues to climb niche food crops such as dry beans, regardless of where in the world they are produced: North America, Southern Hemisphere or China, are experiencing the same pressures and will need to remain price competitive with other field crops to secure acres.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA): post sporadic biotic stresses such as disease and insect infestations.  Some White mould is evident in fields with dense crop canopies.  There is some anthracnose showing up as stunted and yellow plants with advanced pod infection. There are also reports of low levels of bacterial blight infection. Tarnished plant bug populations appear to be increasing as well.
On the whole though the majority of the edible bean crop looks good, but is behind in development.