Black kidney beans are an edible legume, commonly known as kidney beans or green beans. The young pods or seeds are available as fresh vegetables, canned, pickled, and freeze-dried. It belongs to the genus Phaseolus in the family Rosaceae and Leguminosae. In actual production, it is difficult for many farmers to achieve high quality and high yield of kidney beans. Next, we will introduce the technical solutions for high-quality and high-yielding kidney beans to the majority of growers.

1. Soil environment requirements

Kidney beans have a relatively developed root system and strong ability to absorb water and fertilizer. They do not have strict requirements on the growth soil and can grow normally in most soils. However, kidney beans are not suitable for continuous cropping and have poor salt-alkali tolerance. They are also not suitable for planting in low-lying plots with sticky soil and water accumulation. Otherwise, it will easily lead to root development, anthracnose and other diseases. Generally speaking, kidney beans are most suitable for growing on light sandy soil with deep tillage, fertile soil, loose soil, high fertility, rich humus, and good drainage. As for soil acidity and alkalinity, move neutral soil with a pH value between 5.5-7 and previous crops to slightly acidic soil of the Gramineae family, such as wheat, corn, sorghum, millet, etc.

2. Lighting environment requirements

Kidney beans are a type of crop with short days and strong light. When the light duration is short and the intensity is high, the flowering, fruiting and maturation time of beans will be shorter. If there are more rainy weather and insufficient light during the growth period of kidney beans, the development of flowers and fruits and the maturity of pods will be delayed. In severe cases, there may be few flowers, few pods or even no flowers or pods. Because kidney beans are divided into different types, their light requirements are slightly different, but they are affected by climate and temperature. Generally speaking, it is suitable to plant varieties with short days in spring, and it is best to plant varieties with medium-long days in autumn.

3. Temperature and environmental requirements

Kidney beans are warm in nature but afraid of high temperatures, and cold-resistant but afraid of freezing damage. 20-30 degrees is best for seed germination, 18-25 degrees is best for seedling growth, and 20-25 degrees is best for flowering and pod formation. When the temperature is lower than 5℃, kidney beans are prone to frost damage, such as turning green or dead seedlings. When the temperature is lower than 10°C or higher than 35°C, kidney beans cannot germinate and the growth of seedlings is inhibited. When the temperature is lower than 15°C or higher than 30°C, pollination of beans during flowering period is poor. But different kidney bean varieties have different temperature requirements. Generally speaking, vine varieties are not tolerant of low temperatures, and dwarf varieties should be more tolerant.

4. Water environment requirements

Kidney beans have relatively developed root systems and are drought and waterlogging resistant. Best suited for growing in a soil environment with moderate humidity. The entire growth period requires a balanced, sufficient, and stable water supply, and the soil moisture is always kept moderately moist. The soil moisture does not exceed 70%, and the relative air humidity does not exceed 80%. Do not water the kidney beans too much before sowing or germination, otherwise the seeds may rot. As long as the soil is not dry and the seedlings are not wilting, don't water your kidney beans too much or too frequently. During the flowering period of the bean, water should be controlled or not watered, but when the seedlings form pods, sufficient watering should be done, otherwise it will affect the development of the bean pods and reduce the later yield. Kidney beans can maintain an air humidity of 65-75% during the flowering period, and water according to the principle of dryness and moisture during the pod-setting period. When watering kidney beans, it is necessary to combine weather conditions, precipitation, growth stage, and soil dryness and moisture conditions, and flexibly and frequently water a small amount of water. Do not overwater at one time, let alone flood irrigation. Otherwise, it will not only cause hypoxia and suffocation of the kidney bean root system, stunted development, and weakened absorptive capacity, but will also cause malnutrition of the seedlings, poor pollination during flowering, and low flowering and fruit setting rates. In severe cases, kidney beans will suffer from frequent pests and diseases and become waterlogged.

5. Nutritional environment requirements

Kidney beans have a long growth period and continuous harvest period, and the demand and consumption of nutrients are relatively large. Therefore, in fertilization management, it is necessary to apply sufficient base fertilizer and topdress appropriately several times. Generally speaking, kidney beans need nitrogen the most, followed by potassium and then phosphorus. In addition to the three elements nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, kidney beans also have certain requirements for trace elements such as calcium, boron, zinc, molybdenum and copper, which must be appropriately supplemented. Kidney beans have root nodules and have nitrogen-fixing ability, but their nitrogen-fixing ability is weak. Nitrogen fertilizer needs to be supplemented in the early stage. Nitrate nitrogen is the best nitrogen fertilizer. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be applied to kidney beans in the middle and later stages to promote smooth flowering and pod formation, promote grain enlargement and development, and prevent premature seedling aging. Supplementing trace elements such as calcium, boron, and molybdenum during the growth period of beans has a good effect on promoting the healthy growth of beans, increasing the activity of rhizobia, enhancing disease resistance, preventing premature defoliation, and improving yield and quality.