Spring Peas and Beans: A Strategic Choice for Sustainable Farming Practices

Spring beans and peas are excellent choices for those seeking to include a break crop in their rotation, enhancing soil health through sustainable farming practices. These nitrogen-fixing crops are effective in breaking weed, disease, and pest cycles that can harm cereals. Their extensive root systems benefit soil structure by aeration, improving its cultivation response. As nitrogen-fixing crops, spring peas and beans can fix atmospheric nitrogen from rhizobia on root nodules, reducing the need for additional nitrogen fertilisers and boosting soil fertility. Their ability to fix and leave residual nitrogen in the soil and improve soil health/structure contributes to higher yields in subsequent crops—an essential aspect of sustainable farming practices.

Historically, there have been concerns about growing peas due to their standing ability, but advancements in breeding have produced stronger straw that can withstand UK conditions. Choosing fields with lighter soils can also help minimize lodging risk. Our selection of the spring pea Carrington offers excellent standing ability, along with other beneficial agronomic traits like early maturity, tall straw, and good downy mildew resistance.

Growing spring pulses is also advantageous for those looking to spread the workload throughout the year. Spring peas and beans can be sown and harvested earlier, balancing the workload and avoiding a bottleneck during busy periods.

The control yield for spring peas is 3.81t/ha (according to the PGRO list), with spring beans achieving a yield of 4.21t/ha. The yield difference between pea varieties can reach 11.3%, while beans show a smaller variance at 6.7% according to 2026 data.

Crops for Variable Weather Conditions

Yields are significantly influenced by the weather; in drier years, spring peas can thrive due to their excellent drought resistance. Conversely, spring beans perform well in wetter years. It is crucial to consider this when selecting crops and deciding which to sow on different soil types. Spring peas excel in lighter, drier soils, while spring beans are better suited for heavier, moisture-retentive soils.

Typically, cereals yield more; however, growing them continuously without a break crop is unsustainable. Including pulses in the rotation exemplifies sustainable farming practices that enhance efficiency and profitability. The reduced need for fertilisers, coupled with improved yields in subsequent cereals from residual nitrogen—a benefit of nitrogen-fixing crops—will maximise farm profits. This approach ensures long-term soil health and economic viability.

Versatile End Uses for Spring Peas and Beans

The end uses of these pulses are versatile. Options for peas include human consumption, micronising, export markets, and as a home-grown protein source. Growing peas as forage is an excellent way to produce high-protein feed. Harvesting Carrington as a whole crop can yield ME of 10-11.5MJ/kg DM when harvested early to mid pod fill, offering 17-22% crude protein, mainly rumen-degradable protein. This forage is suitable for finishing beef cattle and lambs, as well as dairy cows in mid-lactation, alongside maize or wholecrop cereal to boost protein.

The primary use of Lynx spring beans is as a combinable bean, producing a bold sample suitable for the UK feed compound market. Like peas, beans provide a good source of homegrown protein and are effective feed for mid-lactation cows and finishing sheep and cattle.

Nutritional values of Carrington and Lynx

As the spring sowing season approaches, spring peas and beans are worthy of consideration. They offer a low-input, rotationally valuable, and market-flexible option that supports sustainable farming practices while serving as both nitrogen-fixing and drought-resistant crops. These crops enhance soil health, reduce fertiliser reliance, and improve the performance of the wider cropping system, making them a smart strategic choice for farmers committed to sustainable farming practices and climate-resilient agriculture.