2015 Snap Beans

Varieties:

Blue Lake 274, Bronco, Early Contender, EZ Pick, Green Crop, Jade, Provider, Royal Burgundy, Strike, and Tendergreen

Beans were inoculated with rhizobia and planted on June 3 in 10' plots in raised beds with drip tape and covered with black plastic mulch. They had good germination, however, one plot of Early Contender (#205) got planted late (June 12).  Plants grew well with harvest starting July 28. Beans were picked twice a week. "Harvest-ready" was determined by a dense pod with minimal seed development. Toward the end of the season, harvest ceased on a plot by plot basis when two consecutive pickings were under a half pound.

Results:

Early Contender and Bronco had the most production (~8.1kg or 18lbs of beans per 10’ bed). Season long yields of these varieties were greater than Tendergreen, Green Crop, Jade, and Royal Burgundy (see table below). 

Timing of production was also different among varieties.  Bi-weekly harvests were divided into three periods of about two weeks each: early (July 28^th to Aug 4^th); middle (Aug 7^th to Aug 14^th); and late (Aug 18^th to Sept 8^th).  The "early" harvests represented about half (45%) of the total harvest.   True to its name, Early Contender produced more beans than six other varieties, including varieties (Blue Lake and EZ pick) that had total yields similar to Early Contender.

The middle period represented 42% of the total harvest.  During this period, Bronco had greater yields than five varieties including the early yield leader (Early Contender). (see table below).  Blue Lake 274 and EZ pick increased production compared to the early harvests and had yields equal to Bronco.

Harvests were small in the late period (12% of total production), and there were no differences in yields among varieties.