UK-Grown Capulet Beans: A Step Towards Food Security

A Lincolnshire grower has achieved success in cultivating a crop of Capulet beans, which have been processed as UK-grown baked beans. Farmers Guide investigates the process required to produce this crop and assesses its potential on British farms.

Challenges in Pulse Cultivation

There has been considerable discourse within the industry about increasing the cultivation of protein crops in the UK. However, despite the discussions, the provisional AHDB early bird survey predicts a 10% decline in pulse area in 2023 compared to the previous year. Pulse yields can vary, and the reduced availability of chemical solutions has heightened the challenges associated with their cultivation, dissuading some farmers.

The Collaboration

Pulse experts at leading agronomy advice and supply firm Agrii, in collaboration with the University of Warwick and Andrew Ward of Roy Ward Farms, embarked on a journey to learn the techniques required to grow haricot/Capulet beans.

"We have always believed in not remaining stagnant and exploring new avenues," says Andrew Ward. "Our country relies too heavily on imports, and there seems to be a lack of concern from the government.

"Food security is a significant concern. The UK consumes 300 tonnes of baked beans daily, yet none are produced by British farmers. We should not simply accept these imports; hence, we initiated this project in collaboration with Agrii and the University of Warwick."

Market Potential

With processors offering up to £985/t for imported haricot beans to produce baked beans, and the UK consuming two million tins per day, the market potential for farmers is evident. However, the challenge lies in learning to cultivate a crop traditionally grown in the prairies of America and Canada, with little guidance on its optimal growth in our maritime climate.

Trialling Haricot Bean Varieties

They conducted trials with three haricot bean varieties bred for the UK climate by Eric Holub at The University of Warwick: Capulet, Godiva, and Olivia. Capulet, a small white bean, is traditionally preferred for baked beans. Godiva has a blonde colour, while Olivia is black, and both are larger than Capulet, typically used in cooking, primarily for curries.

Optimising Crop Management

The crop trials explored companion cropping and seed rates to develop the best crop management strategy. The aim was to determine the optimal plant population for yield and ground cover to aid weed control and plant architecture.

Seed Stock Multiplication

Another crucial objective is to increase the small seed stocks of the varieties. Multiplying pulses quickly is challenging due to required seed rates, yields, and potential germination loss. Since they are dealing with the only seed supplies of these varieties worldwide, it is essential to produce enough to scale up production in the future.

Learnings from the Field

"The crop was sown in May and harvested at the end of September. It was ready ten days earlier, but adverse weather conditions forced us to delay harvesting until they were dry," explains Andrew.

"The three things we plan to try next year are increasing the seed rate, planting deeper, and sowing earlier to boost the plant population. This year's crop wasn't very dense, making weed control difficult."

Addressing Potential Issues

Andrew has been warned about potential issues with bruchid beetles on earlier-sown crops, which could be problematic for human consumption. Late frosts are also a concern if sown earlier. However, these risks are outweighed by the expected improvement in plant establishment.

"Haricot beans grow close to the ground, so we used a combine with a MacDon header for harvesting, which performed well. They weren't too low to the ground when sown with a companion crop. The increased competition encouraged vertical growth, and the companion crop provided support," adds Andrew.

Crop Protection and Yields

"All crop protection options are available through EAMUs," says Rebecca White, specialist break crop product manager at Agrii. "The herbicides used are similar to those for French dwarf beans, with Basagran (bentazone) as the primary pre-emergence herbicide.

"Haricot beans can be susceptible to downy mildew, although we did not observe any in Andrew's crop despite not using fungicides.

"They prefer a similar seedbed to what you would prepare for combining or vining peas. We sowed 80-90 seeds/m2 as the standard seed rate."

Yield Results

The plot with the companion crop yielded 1.9 t/ha, while the one without yielded 1.6 t/ha. Andrew and Rebecca believe they can improve this year with the knowledge gained from the previous season.

Although last year's yield is modest compared to average field bean yields, the market premiums and low growing costs still yield a competitive gross margin for haricot beans, especially considering their nitrogen-fixing ability, spring sowing, and integration into the winter wheat rotation.

Future Plans

"We successfully canned a sample of Capulet beans at Princes, although most of last year's crop was reserved for seed. I plan to grow 45 acres this year, applying the lessons learned from last season," concludes Andrew.

"Agrii is collaborating with the food chain to explore market opportunities for UK-grown haricot beans," adds Rebecca. "We need to scale up seed production. In addition to Andrew's expanded area, we are seeking other farmers to collaborate on this crop."