Dry Bean Scene 9/22/23
U.S. Dry Bean Council Program Advisor Dee Richmond talks about the Worldwide Trade Mission in this week’s Dry Bean Scene. The Dry Bean Scene is sponsored, in part, by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association.
MN Dry Bean Grower Returns from Japan
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has recently returned from a business development mission to Japan. The delegation was made up of state lawmakers and representatives from Minnesota agricultural organizations, including Mark Dombeck. Dombeck serves as the chair for the Minnesota Dry Bean Research and Promotion Council and represented the dry bean industry on the trip.
The U.S. is the largest foreign supplier of food and agricultural products to Japan, with Minnesota being the 11th largest U.S. state exporter to the country. In return, Japan is Minnesota’s fourth largest export market, representing roughly eight percent of Minnesota’s food and agricultural exports.
Bean Harvest ‘All Over the Board’
Page, North Dakota farmer Jim Thompson is working on harvesting his edible beans and is about halfway through. “We’re hoping to finish up black beans in the next couple of days before the expected rains come.” Thompson says the timing of dry bean harvest is all over the board with neighbors in all stages of harvest. Soybean harvest won’t be far behind. “Some of the early maturities are turning pretty hard, so I think overall everything will be ready in the next week to 10 days.”
Dry Bean Harvest Slower Than Average
In the latest USDA crop progress report, dry edible beans in North Dakota rated 19 percent poor to very poor and 76 percent fair to good. Edible beans dropping leaves was at 92 percent, ahead of last year, but near average. Harvest beans was at 37 percent, ahead of last year’s 29 percent, but behind the average of 44 percent. For Minnesota, dry edible beans reached 93 percent dropping laves, with 40 percent of the crop harvested. Dry bean condition remained 58 percent good to excellent. Topsoil moisture in Minnesota was rated 75 percent short to very short, and 25 percent adequate. Half of subsoil moisture supplies were rated short.
Dry Bean Scene 9/13/23
Columbia Grain Larimore location Manager Cody Michael talks about harvest progress in this week’s Dry Bean Scene. The Dry Bean Scene is sponsored, in part, by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association.
Dry Bean Scene 9/8/23
Bonanza Bean Grower Relations Andy Hacker gives us an update on harvest and the dry bean crop in this week’s Dry Bean Scene. The Dry Bean Scene is sponsored, in part, by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association.
Patchy White Mold Found in Dry Beans
NDSU Extension Plant Pathologist Michael Wunsch says dry bean harvest has just started in the north, north-central part of the state. “Local producers that I’ve talked to say the crop looks quite good, except they were surprised to find a fair amount of white mold in spots, given the type of summer we had.” Wunsch says white mold has been patchy this year with heavier presence mostly being found by tree rows. “It wasn’t a high-rainfall summer, but we had daytime highs in the 70’s and heavy overnight dews.”
‘A Perfect Storm’
Due to last year’s dry fall and the late start this year, a defoliant application farmers used in 2022 in dry beans carried over and has had reportedly adverse effects on sugarbeets planted in the same field. NDSU and University of Minnesota Extension Sugarbeet Agronomist Tom Peters says it was the perfect storm. “There’s a crop rotational interval where we can safety plant our next crop after putting down applicants, and unfortunately, 2022-2023 was a unique year.” According to Peters, the defoliate application probably wiped-out 50 percent of the sugarbeet crop in fields with carryover. “The sugarbeets germinated and emerged as normal, but over the course of a week or so, there was a significant loss of stand.”
Dry Bean Scene 9/1/23
In this week’s Dry Bean Scene, Northarvest Bean Growers Association President Eric Jorgenson gives us a pre-harvest update. The Dry Bean Scene is sponsored, in part, by the Northarvest Bean Growers Association.
Northarvest Awards $2,000 Scholarship
Holly Jolyn Jensen of Stephen MN has been selected as the 2023 NBGA scholarship winner. Holly, whose parents are NBGA member-growers Brian & Betsy Jensen, plans to use her scholarship to continue her education at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She is currently pursuing a double major in nutrition and psychology. NBGA annually awards scholarships specifically to the children/grandchildren of NBGA growers. Northarvest wishes Holly Jolyn Jensen all the best in her future endeavors!