"Hand-working" Bean Seed Production

Every year, we produce bean seeds in China for foreign companies with a quantity of hundreds of tons seeds. Although bean seeds production is quite easy and requires few man-power, there are still something significant difference in our working. The most important is, pods and seeds harvesting, seeds cleaningthe, and quality seeds selection are all made by hand work in our bean seed production.

In recent years, because of the increasing of both labor cost and land cost, and strength of China currency in foreign exchange market, bean seeds production face big problem in Jiuquan area, the productivity is too low compares with other crops, so many farmers refuse to grow beans. Most of bean seeds production have been transfered to Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang province.

Beans is an annual crop with optimal growth between temperatures of 18 – 24°C. It is regarded as a self-pollinating crop, but some beans are cross-pollinated and it is essential to place beehives close to the crop to ensure good pollination.

Seedbed

A fine, deep, even and well-prepared soil with good drainage capability for seedbeds are preferred and recommended. The soil should be pre analyzed to determine it’s nutrient status and any deficiencies be supplemented during the preparation of the seedbed. Seed treatment is essential.

Regular irrigation is required throughout the growing season. The greatest requirement for water is during the flowering and pod set stages.

Beans are direct sown, with a bean planter, in selected fields with good isolation in rows, 700 – 900 mm apart, depending on cultivars. Plant population and the quantity of seed requirement should be calculated considering the cultivar, seed size and spacing used.

Harvesting & Threshing

Harvesting should begin when the plants and pods turns yellow and before they become dry, that is, when the moisture content of the seed is between 15 – 16%.

To prevent any damage during the threshing process, the moisture of the seed should not be less than 12%. Pre-cleaning is done by our contracted farmer and then delivered to the cleaning plant.