Our process green bean crop was harvested on the 13th of March and yields were excellent – above the level agreed in fact, and we got a reduced payout for the excess. All good though!
The cover crops were direct-drilled by Mike Kettle contractors on the 7th of April. There was good moisture, but hot dry winds rapidly dried the soil out. Annual ryegrass was drilled in all treatments. The Hybrid plots also had two clovers added, and the Regenerative plots had two clovers and vetch.
After planting, the plots were aerated and rolled by Patrick Nicolle, and we aim to stay off them until October, prior to planting butternuts for Heinz-Wattie’s.
After 28 mm of rain and a few days of warm temperatures, the cover crops began emerging on the 18th of April. Both the annual ryegrass and vetch were well out after a few days, although the clover is slower. We drilled slug bait with the seed, and will apply a surface dose by quadbike after the rain and now emergence is underway. The amount of surface residue is apparent in the images below, and we suffered damage in such conditions with previous crops.
We expect the cover crops will be at a good stage for viewing at the LandWISE 2025 Conference Horizons Regional Council Field Session on 22 May.