A family-run beef, sheep and arable farm in Northumberland has become virtually self-sufficient in protein and feed requirements, by growing as much as they can in-house.

Homegrown wholecrop winter bean silage as a high protein alternative to soya, is a key part of this strategy for T Bean and Sons, near Newcastle, and has helped completely displace the need for bought-in protein feed.

Indeed, they estimate the annual benefit from growing their own feeds could be worth at least £50,000 to £60,000, so there are strong financial and efficiency benefits, as well as being more environmentally sustainable, says Wayne Bean.

“We started looking into growing our own protein several years ago – mainly because the price of purchased products was increasing quite a lot at the time, and we were never entirely happy with the consistency of the liquid molasses we used to buy.

“We initially started off growing a few acres of Fuego spring beans in 2007, but four years ago, we switched to winter beans, mainly because it gives us more herbicide options for controlling brome. Being a winter crop, it also eases the workload in the spring, as things can get quite busy around lambing, with 2,500 ewes to look after on the farm as well.”

The business now grows 20-25 ha (50-60 acres) of Tundra winter beans from Limagrain UK; a pale skin, pale hilum variety, chosen for its yield potential, reliability, protein content, and agronomics, including good standing ability.

Winter beans are grown in rotation with a number of other crops – all for feed – including 40 ha (100 acres) of LG Astronomer winter wheat for crimping, 73 ha (180 acres) of winter and spring barley (Bolton and Sienna), also for crimping, and 38 ha (95 acres) of LG Prospect maize, for silage. Fodder beet, forage rape, and grass, are also grown for the sheep flock.

Getting a better crop

A traditional plough/ power-harrow cultivation system is used to establish beans in the autumn, and Mr Bean believes it is important to keep seed rates reasonably high to drive yield and produce a better crop.

“We generally find that around 250 kg/ha is comfortable for us, and gives a crop that is better at shielding itself from pigeons and other vermin, grows tall, stands well, and produces a decent yield. Typically, we’re getting wholecrop yields from the Tundra, of around 20 t/ha (8 t/acre) on heavier ground, but that can vary quite a lot depending on the season.”

Crops are cut once pods and stems are dry enough in early September – usually a couple of weeks before the point at which beans would normally be combined.

A notable benefit of growing Tundra winter beans is the residual nitrogen that is left for the following wheat crop, Mr Bean says. “We often see a 20-30% reduction in nitrogen use on wheat after beans, and they are quite a good soil conditioner too.”

He also thinks chocolate spot is less of a problem in the Tundra winter beans, than in the spring beans grown previously.

Quality protein feed

Once cut, the chopped wholecrop beans are added to the top of the silage clamp containing crimped wheat and barley, to utilise available space and help “seal in” the clamp, Mr Bean says. Maize silage is clamped separately.

A total mixed ration (TMR) is fed to the 200-head of beef cattle fattened every year, which includes 80 Limousin-cross suckler cows, plus other store cattle bought in from Hexham Market, aged 12-15 months. Cattle are typically taken to around 400 kg finishing carcass weight – usually reached by around 22-24 months old.

“Our aim is to finish everything as efficiently as possible, and the move to growing our own protein from winter beans has helped with that. The protein seems a lot more consistent, and has a higher digestibility, so cattle are able to utilise more of it.”

All new stock bought in for fattening can go straight onto the TMR from day one on the farm, rather than having to be eased onto the ration, as used to be done when feeding soya and dry rolled barley, he adds. That used to result in a temporary drop in performance and additional work.

Mr Bean estimates finishing time has been reduced by 3-4 months, and carcass grades are better and more consistent, with everything achieving U and U+ grades.

The move to feeding crimped grain, which began in 2007, also has benefits, he adds, as they have noticed less acid, which means no loose muck, bloated or lethargic animals, and no sign of acidosis.

Farm Facts: T.Bean & Sons

• Family business which includes; Geoff (Wayne’s Dad), Wayne’s brother Steven, Uncle Alan and his son Robert, along with Wayne’s Mum Lynne, and Alan’s wife Caroline
• 1,400 ha (3,500 acres) in Derwent Valley, Northumberland
• 400 ha owned, 120 ha rented & 810 ha common fell grazing
• 2,500 ewes
• More than 200-head of beef cattle fattened every year using their own high-quality concentrate and forage feeds, including wholecrop bean silage (as a high protein alternative to soya), crimped cereals (concentrated, rumen-friendly alternative to dry rolled grain), maize silage, and fodder beet
• No bought-in feed for cattle or sheep, other than minerals
• Cropping includes: Tundra winter beans, winter and spring barley (for crimping), winter wheat (crimping), forage maize, fodder beet, forage rape
• Variable soils

With soil temperatures warming, growers are already drilling spring pulses, or at least thinking about it!

Security of yield has never been more critical. We asked Heather Oldfield, Cereals and Pulses Product Manager, to share some key points for growers to consider;

• Seed-to-soil contact is crucial for germination, early growth, and overall yield. Don’t rush!
• Waiting an extra week can help with soil temperatures and avoid seeds sitting in a cold, damp seedbed.
• More favourable conditions mean better early growth, root development, and Nitrogen fixation.
• For optimal spring bean yields aim for 45-55 established plants per square metre. It’s important to consider field losses when deciding on the drilling rate, the conditions will always affect this.
• Green (Blue) and Yellow (White) peas have the best chance of achieving good yields when 80-90 plants per square metre are established.

Varietal choice is key to meet end market requirements, and achieve good returns. The right variety choice can make all the difference;

Beans

LG Viper — This variety has the best standing ability, and Downy Mildew and Rust tolerance available on the PGRO Descriptive List 2025. It is not the highest yielding, but farmers appreciate its consistent performance on farm.

LG Raptor — High yield potential combined with early maturity and good standing ability. It is a great variety option for a bi-cropping situation when combined with the spring pea variety LG Aviator, the two complement each other well. Watch out for the on-farm case studies – coming soon!

LG Eagle – The show’s star, topping the PGRO Descriptive List 2025. Sadly, all seeds are being used for multiplication in 2025, but please place orders early for LG Eagle in 2026 to avoid disappointment!

Peas

LG Aviator – A high yielding large blue pea with good Downy Mildew tolerance and powdery mildew resistance – not a common trait for a combining pea.

LG Corvet – New to this year’s PGRO Descriptive List, a high yielding Yellow (White) pea. Offering the best Downy Mildew tolerance in the White pea sector combined with early maturity and good standing. The variety has performed well and consistently in 3 very different trial years.

More info

Pauline Lafage, Pulse Breeding Project Manager, tells us what the challenges and opportunities are for pulse breeding.

As a breeder, what’s our focus for the future?

We continually screen for disease, better standing ability, and test where varieties fit best in different on-farm rotations. We have a large range of varieties and traits, from across the globe, to ensure new introductions are robust, stable, offer maximum yield, are fit for market, and deliver the best economical return. 

We focus on different sources of resistance and due to the evolving nature of disease, and climatic challenges, we aim to evolve the breeding programmes just as quickly. By having close links to farmers and the onwards supply chain, we are confident LG varieties are fit for future challenges. As pulse breeders, we know the positive attributes of the inclusion of pulses in both human and livestock diets and we look to achieve varieties that also offer a strong nutritional profile.

What do we see as being the biggest threats to UK pulses?

Difficulties with weather and competition for land now falling under SFI, has meant the true potential benefits of pulses have not always been realised in recent years.  The unintended consequence of this has put extra pressure on the inclusion of pulses within the rotation, with many mixtures containing legumes.The mixture with pulses (intermediate crops used between two main crops) used by the farmer is an interesting topic. We are not 100% that one pathogen is specific to one pulse or to all the pulses. Changes to cultivation practices have also caused difficulties with establishment, particularly of high yielding pea crops. 

How important is the UK to LG’s breeding programme?

We have a commitment to UK pulses, with extensive trial and multiplication work underway in England and Scotland.

The UK is our main target for faba bean breeding, with commercial production in 22/23 of 795,000 tonnes, compared to France, at 158,000 tonnes. Due to the maritime climate, the British Isles are well suited to the production of pulse crops, with some unique market opportunities, particularly in the blue pea sector.

A lot of the exploratory supply chain work conducted in the UK is leading the European breeding programme, with Low varieties at the forefront of this. 

The UK is well suited to the production of blue peas.

The addition of the joint highest yielding spring bean variety LG Eagle and combining pea LG Corvet, to the 2024/25 PGRO Descriptive List, demonstrates our continuing commitment to pulses.

Heather Oldfield talks through the characteristics of these exciting varieties.

LG Eagle joins the 24/25 PGRO DL as the joint highest yielding spring bean at 110% yield (as % control). During both Limagrain and DL trials, this extremely high yield potential has been delivered consistently over the last few, very different and challenging seasons, which is an important and valuable attribute for a spring bean – and one that growers look for on farm. However, it’s not just about high yields, this need to be backed up by solid agronomics and traits, and we are delighted that LG Eagle offers all of these. It is one of the earliest varieties on the DL to mature, is not too tall, stands well and offers a good disease package, including rust.

LG Eagle is suitable for human consumption, fish feed and animal protein markets, offering a range of marketing opportunities. Its consistent yields and disease resistance package means it will be taking a big bite into the spring bean acreage by 2026.

Combining Pea LG Corvet joins the DL as a high yielding, (111% of control), early maturing, relatively short variety. Alongside these attributes, LG Corvet also has very good standing ability, which is an important trait for ease of combining and protecting precious yield.

Poor standing ability can often be a barrier to growing peas. LG Corvet offers an exceptional downy mildew resistance rating of 8 – the result of a concerted focus from Limagrain on breeding for resistance against this devastating disease in peas.The variety holds one of the highest dry protein content percentages at 22.2%.

The addition of the joint highest yielding spring bean variety LG Eagle and combining pea LG Corvet to the 2024/25PGRO Descriptive List from Limagrain Field Seeds, demonstrates the breeder’s continuing commitment to pulses.

LG Eagle joins the 2024/25 PGRO Descriptive List as the joint highest yielding spring bean at 110% yield (as % control).

“During both Limagrain and DL trials, this extremely high yield potential has been delivered consistently over the last few very different and challenging seasons which is an important and valuable attribute for a spring bean – and one that growers look for on farm,” says Heather Oldfield, UK cereals and pulses product manager for Limagrain Field Seeds.

“However, it’s not just about high yields, these need to be backed up by solid agronomics and traits, and we are delighted that LG Eagle offers all of these,” she adds.

“It is one of the earliest varieties on the DL to mature, is not too tall, stands well and offers a good disease package including rust.”

LG Eagle is suitable for human consumption, fish feed and animal protein markets offering a range of marketing opportunities.

Heather Oldfield

With limited seed availability for 2025, Heather believes LG Eagle’s consistent yields and disease resistance package mean it will be taking a big bite into the spring bean acreage by 2026.

Combing Pea LG Corvet  joins the DL offering a high yielding, (111% of control), early maturing, relatively short variety.

“Alongside these attributes, LG Corvet also has a very good standing ability, which is an important attribute for ease of combining and protecting precious yield. Poor standing ability can  often be barrier to growing peas,” says Heather.

“LG Corvet offers an exceptional downey mildew resistance rating of 8 – the result of a concerted focus from Limagrain on breeding for resistance against this devastating disease in peas,” she notes.

The variety holds one of the highest dry protein percentages at 22.2%.

To meet the growing demand for pulses, Heather highlights the hard work being done by the Limagrain pulse breeding team to enhance the major traits in their varieties and introduce new ones using routine diagnostic marker assisted selection (MAS).

She explains this is being done at a high-tech facility in the Netherlands which allows the breeders to undertake rapid generation cycling.

“Target traits sought for peas include reliable yields with consistently high protein levels, resistance to lodging, and tolerance and resistance to diseases, the results of which we are seeing in LG Corvet.

“Cold tolerance without damaging the protein percentage is also an important trait for growing in more northerly climates,” adds Heather.

“The new varieties are then put into schemes for extensive testing in both the UK and Europe. Our testing builds a comprehensive data set and highlights which varieties are adapted to multiple environments, so we can identify the best high quality, stable varieties,” she continues, adding that these extended trials also build understanding of optimum drill timings.

“We also continue to work closely with key stakeholders in the marketplace to develop varieties fit for future purpose for UK growers.”

Yellow peas have historically been only a small proportion of the UK pulses market but are grown much more widely in Canada and France. Originally, only grown as a niche product for animal feed, they now command a premium for bird food and human consumption markets.

The area of yellow peas has been increasing steadily in the UK over the past decade. Justin Barrett, from Askew and Barrett (Pulses) Ltd, explains “we are finding that yellow peas have a higher yield than large blue and marrowfat types. They are also flexible, as they are used in a number of processes including for fractionation, pea flour and split peas used for soups, stews and casseroles”.

Limagrain’s first yellow pea in the UK, LG Ajax, was first listed in 2022 and was followed by LG Corvet. Both of these varieties have a step up in disease resistance over other types, especially against powdery and downy mildew.

“One of the major benefits of yellow peas for growers, is there is no risk of bleaching during growing and harvesting and they are usually the first of the dry peas to be combined. I expect the market to continue to increase for yellow peas” says Justin.

Lincolnshire grower Edward Knight of James Knight Farms near Folkingham, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, was very pleased with how well the large blue pea LG Aviator coped with the challenging dry conditions of 2022.

“They stood up nicely to combine and yielded 3.7t/ha,” he says.

“This is the first year we have grown LG Aviator peas, which will go to Limagrain UK for seed”.

“We are impressed with LG Aviator as a variety – it’s clean, vigorous and with the dry conditions we didn’t have to spend too much on it. We also bale the straw as the cattle like pea straw, so it’s a good value crop for us.”

Direct drilling peas

“We have grown pulses on and off for the last fifteen years, depending on where they fit in the rotation. We work the soil in the autumn with a Sumo trio, and then drill in the spring once soils have warmed up enough. For the first time, we direct drilled the peas using a Mzuri in an attempt to conserve as much soil moisture as possible – which worked well.”

Importance of disease resistance

At a time when farmers are looking carefully at crop inputs, a variety like LG Aviator should provide some much needed varietal security as it offers the best disease resistance package of any large blue pea variety, including powdery mildew resistance,” says Corrie Dekker, Assistant Pulse Breeder for Limagrain UK.

“The variety also exhibits a unique architecture with most of the pods near the top of the plant, which keeps them off the ground and makes for easier combining.”

For these reasons, Ms Dekker believes that LG Aviator will feature in generations to come and is why it has been significantly taken up by the industry.

Farm facts

JK Farms
Family Farm & Contracting
Rotation
Peas/Beans
Wheat
Wheat/Spring Barley
Linseed
Wheat
Wheat/Spring Barley
OSR

LG Aviator peas in summary

•  
• • Good yield performance with consistent flowering and even maturity

  • Excellent tolerance to downy mildew and powdery mildew resistant

  • Multi podded type with a condensed pod set at the top of the plant

  • Suitable for micronizing, feed and human consumption market

You can download the technical data sheet for LG Aviator peas here

This year, to mark 10 years of the Yield Enhancement Network (YEN), a new Innovation Award has been commissioned which was presented at the YEN conference on 24^th January. The award is for an outstanding contribution to on-farm innovation and has been sponsored by Limagrain.

“Limagrain has been an active supporter of YEN since its inception so it seems only fitting that we sponsored the Innovation Award for the 10^th anniversary conference,” says Limagrain’s Arable Marketing Manager, Will Charlton.

“As a company that invests in UK based breeding activities for all major arable crops, innovation is a core value of our business. Alongside bringing new varieties to market, we invest a considerable amount of time and money in examining how our varieties perform in different farming systems. Over the years YEN has been invaluable in helping us facilitate this work by providing a structure and detailed analysis to aid Limagrain’s collaborations with innovative farmers across the country.”

The standard of nominations was exceptionally high with all the farmers demonstrating a passion for progress, learning and collaboration. However, there could only be one winner. The award was presented by Limagrain’s Arable Technical Specialist, Liam Wilkinson. 

Liam Wilkinson and Russ McKenzie

“I’m delighted to announce that Russ McKenzie, farm manager of DJ Tebbit and John Sheard Farms, has won the YEN innovation Award. Russ has demonstrated his commitment to YEN by being one of the few farmers to provide an entry every year since YEN began.

In particular, the judges were impressed by his recent on farm trials work which has sought to investigate fungicide, nutrition and variety interactions under his own establishment system, utilising the latest digital and molecular diagnostics, alongside a trials plot combine to analyse the results. The complexity of his trials required dedication and a significant time commitment throughout a busy growing season. The data generated has provided valuable insights into how different inputs interact and influence a farming system.”

For Northumberland farmer, Wayne Bean of T Bean & Sons, growing his own livestock feed is key to maintaining profitability from his cattle and sheep.

Whole crop beans, maize, kale, forage rape, fodder beet and grain are grown for this purpose at Broad Oak Farm, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

“We are totally self sufficient in producing the ingredients for our rations. By growing our own feed, it puts us in control of our own costs as much as possible,” explains Wayne.

“We know the margins that we have to operate within between profit and loss, and this is particularly important when we buy cattle in, as it helps us to know our margins are fixed before starting.”

“It’s also important that in our cattle ration we include a protein source, as well as fibre, which whole crop beans provide.”

Beans became central to the rotation at Broad Oak Farm back in 2008, initially in response to a price hike in protein and nitrogen costs when 20 acres were drilled on a trial and now there is as much as 80 acres grown in any one season.

“Initially we grew spring beans, but have changed to winter varieties as we have found we can drill them into the heavier ground where maize can’t be grown as a break crop and weed control.”

“With our land being up to 1000 ft above sea level, conditions in the spring are unpredictable, so it takes the risk away.”

“We are now growing the variety Tundra. Whilst it’s not the highest yielding variety available, it has one of the highest protein contents which is key for us, and agronomically we like it for its good standing and earliness of maturity,” he says.

“We harvest the beans using a direct disc header on the forage harvester. We generally try to avoid using pod stick to keep costs down, as find that this approach helps us to reduce seed losses.”

“We aim to get the maize crop as dry as possible for high DM. The grain we grow is crimped and the whole crop beans go on top of the crimped grain in the clamp. We use an additive (Safesill), which is applied by the harvester and we usually wait for about 4-6 weeks before feeding.”

“It’s not the way that many would feed beans but it works very well for us!”

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) and Limagrain Field Seeds are excited to announce a new collaboration for pulse breeding in Saskatchewan, Canada.

This new collaboration has a strong commercial focus and will bring new and additional investment into pea and lentil breeding locally in Saskatchewan, increasing competition, and creating a strong
environment to foster innovation.

Developing new and better performing varieties of peas and lentils is the focus of the breeding collaboration. Farmers’ priorities and greatest production challenges are at the forefront of the breeding program, with major areas of focus including resistance to root disease in peas and lentils, increased protein content, and overall improvements in yield performance under varying conditions.

Breeding will take place in Saskatchewan for the benefit of Saskatchewan producers. “We are excited for this new direction in pulse breeding for farmers in Saskatchewan. It is important to continue fostering innovation and competition in pulse breeding and to bring new perspectives to challenging on-farm issues like root rots and herbicide resistance,” says Shaun Dyrland, Chair of SPG Board of Directors.

“We believe this new collaboration with Limagrain on pulse breeding will allow for targeting grower priorities and ensuring that growers’ direction and voices are at the table helping to drive new varieties.”

The new Limagrain Field Seeds breeding, and research program will be based in Saskatoon, where a dedicated pulse breeding team will be created, bringing new expertise in breeding, pathology, molecular genetics, and field trial evaluation to the region.

This technology driven program will lead to higher performing varieties being made available to producers more quickly by deploying all available technology to both shorten the breeding cycle and accelerate seed production.

Commitment and Collaboration

“Limagrain is very committed to producing plant-based proteins. Saskatchewan is at the heart of global pulse production, so it makes perfect sense for Limagrain Field Seeds to extend its existing cereal breeding research in Saskatoon, and to now include these two pulse crops reinforcing our commitment to Saskatchewan,” remarked Régis Fournier, CEO of Limagrain Field Seeds.

“Collaboration is a core value for Limagrain and partnering with SPG, a fellow farmer-led organization is a crucially important component.”

Both SPG and Limagrain are farmer-led with farmer-based boards of Directors. This is an important pillar to this new collaboration, which was developed around shared values to support and foster profitable growth and opportunities for Saskatchewan farmers.

The collaboration has SPG and Limagrain sharing in upfront investments, with future royalties from the sale of new varieties to be shared. SPG will provide input on breeding priorities and ensure that farmers’ voices, needs, priorities, and challenges are driving the goals of the program every step of the way.

Benefits for European and UK pulse markets

Will Pillinger, pulse breeder for Limagrain UK believes European and UK markets can expect to see the benefits from this incredibly significant pulses breeding collaboration in the near future through combined technology and genetic diversity. “The partnership with Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG), has increased our investment in genomic selection and specific trait related genetic markers for peas, beans and lentils.”

“This increased global pulse breeding will have an immediate impact on the ability for Limagrain UK to access accelerated improvements in yield, quality and disease resistance and it should not be too long before we see these attributes on UK farms.”

TO VIEW LIMAGRAIN’S PULSE VARIETIES, CLICK HERE

Growers thinking of tapping into the evolving pulse crop market are being encouraged to explore the latest breeding lines being developed by plant breeders Limagrain UK

To meet the growing demand for protein crops, Mr Pillinger highlights the hard work being done by the Limagrain European breeding team to enhance the major traits in their varieties and introduce new ones using routine diagnostic marker assisted selection (MAS).

“This is being done at a high-tech facility in the Netherlands which allows the breeders to undertake rapid generation cycling.”

“Target traits sought for peas include reliable yields with consistently high protein levels, resistance to lodging, and tolerance and resistance to diseases. Cold tolerance without damaging the protein percentage is an important trait for growing in more northerly climates.”

“The new varieties are then put into schemes for extensive localised testing across light, medium and heavy soils in different locations,” he says.

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“The new varieties are then put into schemes for extensive localised testing across light, medium and heavy soils in different locations,” he says.

“Our testing builds a comprehensive data set and highlights which varieties are adapted to multiple environments, so we can identify the best high quality, stable varieties,” continues Mr Pillinger, adding that these extended trials also build understanding of optimum drill timings.

These techniques have helped Limagrain address some of the challenges of decline in performance observed in pulses seen over the last decade or so.

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“Some of the decline can be attributed to diseases such as soil-dwelling oomycete Aphanomyces euteiches and bacterial blight, and he highlights that there was a possibility that changes in disease strains and races had been brought on by climate change.

“Agricultural policy also influences grower choices and fluctuations in support makes the crop less interesting.

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The demand for frozen peas has slightly increased in the last year, this may be down to more people cooking at home during lockdown, or perhaps a more health conscious nation. Either way, it is good news for the sector.

The Yes Peas! campaign has also greatly helped the cause with fantastic coverage for peas on This Morning with Holly and Phil, and articles in national publications such as the Mail and Hello! Magazine.

Limagrain UK were delighted to help support the social media campaign to promote Great British Pea Week back in 2021. By working in a close partnership with our French sister company, Vilmorin Mikado, Limagrain is breeding new varieties which provide improved disease resistance and higher yields.

Growers and processors are looking for varieties with a better agronomic package going forward, especially due to the loss of Wakil XL seed treatment. Limagrain are launching two new afila type vining pea varieties this year; LG Valiant and LG Infinity. LG Valiant is +8 maturity with excellent yield potential, resistance to powdery mildew and medium-to-small sieve size.

LG Infinity is very different because at +17, it would be one of the latest maturing vining pea varieties, which can offer growers a very attractive option. LG Infinity has moderate field resistance to downy mildew, is resistant to powdery mildew and has excellent yield potential.

Limagrain were pleased to host their annual Vining Pea conference in November 2021, attended by farmer groups, processors and agronomists.

The 2-day event included a presentation by Limagrain on their vining pea portfolio and production, a trip to Market Rasen racecourse and a tour of the seed plant at Holton-le-Clay.

It was fantastic to get all parts of the industry together again after the event was cancelled last year.