Dry bean yields are influenced by a number of factors. Disease can have a big impact on yields. Although they are N-fixing legumes they don’t usually produce enough for optimum yields thus requiring additional fertilizer nitrogen or manure. Part of this study explores nitrogen rate requirements of dry beans.
Many growers try to plant dry beans on their best fields or on rented fields coming out of hay. Fields receiving regular amounts of manure are also targets as they have proven to produce the highest yields. The second part of this study will evaluate the soil health of the dry bean fields using a number of soil health indicators. A good correlation between soil health indicators and yield could be used to help a grower predict which fields will produce the highest dry bean yields.