Last week, the Australian Mungbean Association conducted their yearly two-day BMP agronomy course for mungbeans.
We had a full house of attendees at the Toowoomba Conference Centre rooms, and the pressure was on the presenters to provide strong agronomic information and a sound understanding of the mungbean plant.
The first module delivered to the group was rotational fit and positioning in the farming system.
A key factor highlighted was that while mungbeans are a legume crop, they do not leave much nitrogen in the soil to benefit the following crop.
Varieties were the next module, and the two new releases last year, Brolga and Kookaburra, both have strengths and will shine when planted in specific areas that suit their capabilities.
Plant physiology is always an interesting module and not always well understood, yet the group would have picked up key pointers such as how any significant stress during the reproductive stage can impact yields.
It was also noted that mungbeans are indeterminate, meaning leaf and plant development can continue during the reproductive stage in good seasons.
General agronomy is a large module, with nutrition playing a major role, as does inoculation.
With plant-available nitrogen figures discussed at 60 to 70 kg per hectare to produce one tonne per hectare of mungbean seed, increasing to around 110 kg per hectare to produce a two-tonne crop, and up to 165 kg of nitrogen for that magical three-tonne-per-hectare crop.
This clearly showed the group how important it is to get inoculation correct and effective for this short, quick-does-the-trick crop known as mungs.
The group was also encouraged to look at new inoculation techniques, such as using the Mort and Co compost granule as a carrier for the important rhizobia bacteria.
Weed control is usually fairly well understood, however this legume crop is not over-endowed with herbicide options for effective weed control, particularly for broadleaf weeds.
As a result, choosing paddocks wisely and considering the weed spectrum in each block of cultivation is critical.
Insects are always a learning curve, with our number one insect pest, Helicoverpa grubs, having a significant unfavourable impact on mungbean pods and the all-important seed inside them.
Quality as well as quantity are key elements in achieving the best returns for growers.
As with any pesticide use, the industry as a whole is very aware of sensitive MRLs, or maximum residue limits.
This year, the focus is on the very handy neonicotinoid insecticides used to control pests such as green vegetable bugs and the red-banded shield bug.
The MRL for a major customer of Australian mungbeans is as low as 0.02 mg per kg for this group of insecticides, which is a major concern for bean growers and the industry overall.
Warnings have been issued about potential market restrictions and reduced returns if this chemical group exceeds the MRL.
The disease module often receives a lukewarm response from groups, however of the ten or so diseases mungbeans can contract, it is rare to experience all of them in a single season.
Infrequent or irregular occurrences better describe disease pressure, and a healthy, well-growing crop will often ward off many disease issues in mungs.
The course then moved on to desiccation and harvest, which is always a tricky exercise in timing, requiring around 90 per cent physiological maturity before commencing chemical or mechanical desiccation.
Chemical desiccation generally refers to the use of glyphosate as the primary product to kill the mungbean plant and any weeds present, as excess green material makes harvesting far more difficult.
The second option discussed was the swathing technique, which involves cutting the crop and laying it into a windrow to dry on the ground for several days.
This is a handy method for achieving a chemical-free crop with very rapid dry-down.
While it does require two slower passes across the paddock, it is a quicker way to produce glyphosate-free mungbeans and, when timed correctly, harvest losses are significantly reduced.
To wrap up the two days, we heard from a storage expert, a long-time header operator, and a specialist marketing professional.
I also contributed by sharing a wealth of long-term experience, amounting to 43 years since my first involvement in mungbean agronomy.
