Heirloom Dry Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) in Northwest Washington

Dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is a pulse crop that is relatively easy to grow throughout Washington and benefits vegetable crop rotation by breaking disease cycles and providing nitrogen for the following crop. Consumer demand for regionally produced staple crops has opened a market opportunity for dry bean production and niche market varieties (heirloom and/or colored-patterned beans) which are sold at local markets for $6 to $14 per pound. Small-scale growers have been successfully growing dry beans in northwest Washington for over 100 years. The objective for this study was to compare heirloom dry bean varieties that have been grown in northwest Washington (NW) from 20 to 130 years with standard varieties (seed grown outside the region) to determine which are more productive in the region. In May 2013, 14 NW heirloom and 11 standard dry bean varieties were planted in a replicated field trial at WSU Mount Vernon NWREC. In 2014, 17 NW heirloom and 20 standard varieties were planted. Mean days to harvest (DTH) differed significantly between heirloom (110 DTH) and standard (113 DTH) varieties (P = 0.003), but did not differ between years (P = 0.58). Of the heirloom varieties, two were among the earliest maturing both years, Rockwell and Decker. Overall mean yield of heirloom (1852 kg∙ha^-1) and standard (1982 kg∙ha^-1) varieties did not differ (P = 0.22), but there was a significant difference between years (P < 0.0001). Mean yield of heirloom varieties was 2240 kg∙ha^-1 in 2013 and 1550 kg∙ha^-1 in 2014, and mean yield of standard varieties was 2040 kg∙ha^-1 in 2013 and 1686 kg∙ha^-1 in 2014. This study demonstrates that dry beans are a productive crop in northwest Washington and regional heirlooms are an option. Growers in northwest Washington would benefit most from dry bean varieties that are early to mature as the onset of rains by late Sept. makes harvest difficult. Future studies should examine yield of early maturing varieties, with a focus on colored/patterned beans that are attractive for local direct markets.