The thermometer plunged to a chilly 1 C early July 31, a temperature less than ideal for sunbathing but adequate for Albert Stolte’s fababean crop at Alhambra, Alta.
“They like it cool and wet; we’ve got cool and wet,” he said.
Stolte Farms is in its third year of growing the legume, which has replaced peas as a protein source for its 110 sow farrow-to-finish operation.
The crop provides about 25 percent protein, compared to 20 to 21 percent from peas grown in the area, said Stolte, who bought his seeds from a grower near Penhold, Alta.
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The Barrhead-Penhold region already grows fababeans, but Stolte said he is the only one in his area of western Alberta.
He believes the often wet zone is well suited to growing beans, with the farm receiving 750 mm of rain in May and June last year. That amount of rain saturated bean fields and reduced yields to 25 bushels per acre but was still an improvement over the five to 10 bu. per acre yields of recent pea crops.
“Peas don’t like to have their feet wet,” Stolte said.
His fababeans yielded 60 bu. per acre the first year he grew them, which he is expecting from this year’s 80 acre crop.
Reaching heights of four feet and starting to pod in late July, the beans are planted by mid-May, desiccated in mid-September and harvested in October.
He ran out of time last year so took them off at 30 percent moisture and had to dry them further for storage.
“It’s a long season crop,” said Stolte, who hopes shorter season varieties will be developed in the future.
He said the beans stand up well in snow and dry better standing until harvest. Combining beans is similar to combining peas.
The legume works well in Stolte’s crop rotation, which includes hulless barley, and has not been affected much by disease or weeds.
Kim Nielsen, first vice-president of the Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen and representative for the Clearwater municipality, said like other area crops around Rocky Mountain House and Eckville, fababeans are looking good this year.
The season started with a damp, cold spring that slowed crop development. Farmers are now looking for hot days to help speed crop maturity.
Pasture conditions in the large forage growing area are exceptional and fields are producing good hay despite frequent rain delays.
“Hay operations are limping along,” Nielsen said.
Excessive moisture is causing leaf diseases in barley such as scald and net blotch.
Hailstorms have also caused damage, but insects are minimal with little wheat midge seen in the eastern part of the county, Nielsen said.
Like fababeans, winter wheat is a newcomer in the district and is adjusting well to the high moisture.
“It’s turning nicely and is on target.”
