Dry Edible Beans

The latest Extension information about dry bean production and management practices from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Nebraska's Dry Bean Industry

Nebraska dry edible bean producers plant anywhere from 140,000 to 200,000 acres of beans annually, producing approximately 1 billion servings. This production is concentrated in western Nebraska, where the climate is arid and the warm days and cool nights provide excellent growing conditions for dry edible beans.

In 2015 Nebraska ranked nationally in dry bean production:

1st in production of Great Northern beans
2nd in production of pinto beans and light red kidney beans
4th in production of all dry edible beans

Hear from farmers in the Nebraska Panhandle and follow dry bean harvest from start to finish in this film by Joe Patterson with support from the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission.

Learn More About Dry Beans:

Nebraska Dry Bean Commission
The Bean Bag, a resource produced by the Nebraska Dry Bean Growers Association
USDA's Briefing Room on Dry Beans
Northarvest Bean Growers Association, serving North Dakota and Minnesota growers

Dry bean harvest in Scotts Bluff County Sept. 12, 2018 (Photo by Gary Stone) — Dry bean harvest underway in Scotts Bluff County Sept. 12, 2018. (Photo by Gary Stone)

Dry Edible Bean Harvest Underway in the Panhandle September 13, 2018

With limited precipitation and warm temperatures this week, dry beans turned quickly and harvest has started. Conditions should provide for good data collection from on-farm research of using direct harvesting methods.

Weed control research in dry bean plots — A review of multiple studies conducted on weed management in dry beans in the US and Canada indicated that without weed control, yield losses could be as much as $720 million per year. (Photo by Nevin Lawrence)

What Would Happen if We Stopped Controlling Weeds? July 19, 2018

A recent study of 10 years of research in key dry bean production areas of the US and Canada showed the value of weed management. Without weed control losses were estimated at $720 million.

Figure 1. Carlos Urrea, dry edible bean breeding specialist (left), and research technician Eduardo Valentin Cruzado tend to the 800 varieties of dry beans taking over the bean greenhouse at the university’s Panhandle Research and Extension Center.

Dry Edible Bean Breeding Greenhouse — It’s A Jungle In There April 6, 2018

About 800 dry bean varieties, planted in December in individual pots, are growing like crazy – far above the typical height in Panhandle bean fields. Part of a university study of how various foods affect the human gut microbiome, these beans represent the first large-scale genetic analysis of these traits in dry beans.

Feb. 9 Deadline for NDA Specialty Crop Grants February 2, 2018

Proposals for the 2018 Specialty Crop Block Grant program, administered by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, should be submitted by Feb. 9. Last year 13 Nebraska projects received a total of $600,000 in funding for research, development, and marketing.

Figure 1. Harvesting dry edible beans in the Nebraska Panhandle.

2018 Dry Edible Bean Day Feb. 13 at Gering January 29, 2018

Plan to attend the 2018 Nebraska Dry Edible Bean Day to hear a keynote by the new Nebraska Director of Agriculture. Researchers and dry bean reps will also present research updates, recommendations for producers, and reports from the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission.

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