Trial Description:
Last year we conducted a basic trial of Vixeran on a bean field. We compared yields with an adjoining field of untreated beans. We did not notice a difference to yield. We are conducting another trial through the pulse pioneers project to gain accurate data and make a performance comparison within the same field.
This trial intends to test the benefit of applying the biostimulant, Vixeran, to yield as well as how it complements the nitrogen fixing capacity of beans. We also seek to collect better data regarding how growing beans is benefiting our arable rotation, particularly the following cereal crop. We have sown two thirds of the field in spring beans and one third will be sown in spring barley. Next year we will make a yield comparison by planting winter wheat. We will monitor our yield using Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) and benchmark our bean performance against other growers.
We sowed Lynx spring beans on 21/3/25 at 220kg/ha. We plan to apply Vixeran with a Knight 24m sprayer. At harvest we will determine if there has been a yield benefit by using a weighbridge.
We also hope to trial wholecropping our beans for the first time this harvest. Increasingly adverse weather conditions have resulted in our beans being cut late, resulting in yield losses. We also have the cost of prop corning as our dryer is unsuitable for drying beans. We hope wholecropping will maximise the beans nutritional value, preserving protein content, reduce energy costs and streamline operations, allowing us to complete harvest earlier.
Outcomes and Next Steps:
I hope the area of beans treated with Vixeran will see a higher yield than the untreated area. If this is the case, we will look to apply Vixeran to our entire bean crop the year after. We may also consider applying Vixeran to other crops.
I expect that in year 2, when the field is in winter wheat, the area of the field that had beans in year 1 will require less fertiliser and bring a higher yield, confirming growing beans is benefiting our arable rotation and helping us farm more sustainably.
