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Dry Bean requires about 15 inches of water for normal production. timely irrigation of dry beans is a crucial management decision for every irrigator. If irrigation is delayed until the dry beans are stressed or too little water is applied; a significant drop in yield can occur. Over irrigation can cause nutrients to leach from the root zone and increased pumping costs. Approximately 85% of the moisture needed to produce a dry bean crop will be extracted from the top 18 inches of soil. If you start with the top 4 feet of soil profile full, this will provide a reserve to get you through mid-season stress. Dry beans use .08 inch per day in the first 2 to 3 weeks of growth. The amount of water used increases to 0.2 inch per day during the bloom to early pod fill stage of growth. Peak water uptake will reach 0.35 inch per day during short periods when the dry bean continue to finish filling. If ample moisture is present during vegetative growth and your last irrigation is done when the first pods are filling; dry beans should finish out in a timely manner. Maturity can be delayed with the late season irrigation. Once dry beans begin to dry down no more water is needed by the plant. If during the growing season you have white mold problems and yet your beans reach a point of still needed water. It is considered best to give the dry beans the normal amount of water needed instead of cutting back the amount of water applied and running the irrigator across the field several times. One pass will get the beans wet once and give them an opportunity to dry off. If you go with more than one pass with the irrigator; your dry bean foliage would stay wet longer and create better conditions for while mold. |
