Zambia Agribusiness Society

General Production: •       Green Beans do well in warm seasons of the year. Optimum temperatures for growing are 15ºC to 27ºC. •       Popular varieties are Contender, Espada, Provider and Wintergreen. •       A well-managed Green beans crop should yield 2 tons per Lima. Land Preparation/Soil Type: •       Deep well drained loamy soils will a pH range from 5.5 to 6 is ideal. •       Effective rooting depth is 60cm. •       Plough and harrow to a 60cm fine tilth seedbed. Planting and Transplanting: •       Sow directly 3 to 4cm deep at seed rates of 15 to 25kg seed per Lima with 1 seed/station. •       Space the plants at 5cm between plants and 60cm between rows to give a plant population of 330,000 plants/hectare. Fertilizer Programme: •       At planting apply Veg Mix A 30gm/m 2 (19kg/lima) - Broadcasted. •       21 days from planting top dress using Veg Top 24 10gm/m 2 (19kg/Lima) - Broadcasted. •       35 days from planting top dress using Veg Top 24 10

1.     General Description French beans which may otherwise be known as string, snap or dwarf beans are grown all year round in frost free areas. Yields are maximized when temperatures lie between 15 to 28°C and some pollination problems may occur if temperatures fall to 4°C or go above 35°C. 2.     Soils Deep, well drained soils are preferred with an ideal pH of 5.5 to 6.5 (CaC 12 ). All soils must be analysed before planting, so that corrective measures may be taken before a problem becomes noticeable. 3.     Fertilization As a general guide, apply 800 to 1000kg/ha Compound A, B, C on lighter soils and 400 to 500kgs/ha on heavier soils. The amount of top dressing used, and frequency of application varies depending on soil type. On sandy soils up to 300kg/ha. AN can be applied split on a weekly basis starting from week 3 or 4 and should continue well into flowering and pickling. Less AN would be required on heavier soils and the time between applications may be longer. Ad