Protection of legume crops during the sowing period

For many years in Ukraine, the production of legumes has been expanding. Peas, beans, soybeans, and chickpeas — sources of protein for humans and animals, and at the same time excellent predecessors for other crops, improving soil structure. However, it is not always possible to obtain a good harvest. The main enemies of farmers are various diseases and weeds.

Seed pre-sowing treatment protects against disease and increases germination

Among the most important reasons for reduced yields are diseases, among which rust and ascochitosis cause the most problems. They can lead to massive yield losses of 20–25% and 15–20% respectively, sometimes the situation is even worse. If the weather is too wet, you may even lose the entire harvest. To combat these diseases, fungicides are used. Seeds are treated with them, and then the plants are sprayed during the bud stage when symptoms of disease appear on the fields. Fungicides allow fighting many other diseases: anthracnose, bacterial disease, etc. They are applied according to instructions upon detection of disease symptoms and for prevention.

Along with fungicides, biological inoculants are often used. These preparations have different effects. Some are used to combat potential infections. They contain microorganisms that are natural enemies of fungi or bacteria parasitizing on plants. There are also inoculants with symbiotic soil bacteria, which enable agricultural crops to obtain more nutrients. This leads to accelerated vegetative mass growth, increased number of buds, fruit set, and fruit mass. Moreover, good nutrition increases the resistance of living organisms to disease-causing pathogens. Tegra company offers a good selection of inoculants for legumes.

Correct sowing — good harvest

When cultivating legumes, it is necessary to consider soil quality, maintain crop rotation, and seeding density:

• soybeans — do not like acidic soils; on such soils, the risk of various diseases increases: fusarium, alternaria, ascochitosis. The use of organic matter from pig farms may increase soil acidity;
• double seeding rates should not be used, as increased density creates favorable conditions for diseases and pests;
• good predecessors for legumes are corn, sugar beet, and potatoes. For peas, winter cereals are a good option. For soybeans — wheat;
• it is not advisable to sow legumes after flax, as they share many pathogens;
• three to four consecutive pea sowings will degrade soil quality, significantly reduce yields, and promote disease spread;
• if there is suspicion of excess nitrogen in the soil, it is advisable to grow winter crops: winter rape;
• planting peas immediately after soybeans may increase yields by 20%.

It is very important to consider climatic conditions and other factors when selecting legume varieties for planting and predecessors. Not all rules of one region will lead to increased yields in another. Agronomy — an exact science. However, to obtain a good harvest, many factors must be taken into account.