Central Lakes College To Lead Bean Production Study

Central Lakes College will use a recently awarded state grant to lead a study to explore increasing efficiency in edible bean production.

The Ag and Energy Center at the college was recently awarded a $36,000 Specialty Crop Block Grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to complete the study.

“Edible beans are an expensive crop to experiment with due to high input costs,” said Hannah Barrett, research coordinator of CLC’s Ag and Energy Center, in a press release. “The importance of this trial is to determine the best practices in growing edible beans so farmers can avoid risking their own profits margins. Ultimately, we want this study to help increase profit margins for area producers.”

Hannah Barrett authored the grant request with CLC farm manager Ron Nelson.

The edible bean grant is a two-fold experiment that determines the effect of varying in-furrow applications as well as varying top dress applications of fertilizers, and its subsequent effect on yield. The project will start this summer and will span two years.