New Crop Opportunities: Rounding Out the Rotation

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

‘It’s an opportunity for farmers to supplement their regular crop income.’

By Emily Mckinlay

While corn, soybeans, and wheat remain the key crops on Ontario farms, many farmers are interested in expanding their rotations. Producers have added new crops for increased profit, rotation timing, and rising input costs.

We spoke with farmers about some unique crops they are growing, and the challenges and lessons from their experiences.

White and black beans

Some producers have diversified from their typical soybean crop by adding dry edible beans to their rotation.

Matt Underwood and his family initially grew black and white beans near Wingham in the 1980s and ’90s but stopped due to the management at the time.

“We stopped for probably around 10 years. At that time a lot of edible beans were still pulled rather than directly harvested and we have stonier ground that didn’t work well with a pull-type harvester.”

The family resumed growing edible beans over the past 15 years, and started processing white, black, and adzuki beans at their commercial grain elevator five years ago. Underwood says they wanted to diversify their rotation and manage the workload at harvest.

“They are typically ready one to two weeks before soybeans, so we are able to get through some of our acres before the soybeans are ready,” explains Underwood.

“This also allows us to get wheat in sooner. We have seen a positive response in wheat yields when planting it sooner, especially since our edible beans come off earlier.”

Underwood says that black and white beans need some special attention compared to soybeans.

“Black beans and white beans – really all edible beans – are a more delicate plant especially early in the season. If you have really wet soil conditions in the spring, edible beans struggle to establish themselves well, and are more susceptible to root rot and disease.

“Another challenge we’ve seen are the limited options for weed control. There are only two to three herbicides to control broadleaf weeds in edibles, and they are very timing specific. If weeds get away on you, it’s very challenging to get them under control. This is exacerbated by Group 14 resistant common ragweed.”

Growers used to be able to use a pre-harvest glyphosate desiccant, but global buyers have ceased accepting glyphosate use, creating challenges with weed management and harvest.

Underwood says that compared to other edible beans, white and black beans have a more consistent market, with less variation in demand and price from global buyers. The reliable market makes these beans an easier entry point for growers.

“It’s a very good opportunity for farmers to supplement their regular crop income,” says Underwood, sharing his advice for farmers looking into growing white or black beans.

“The biggest thing to be aware of is the attention to detail you must have. The beans could end up in a can of pork and beans or a bag of dry beans, so people need to set up the expectation that they are producing something that will end up on a table.

“Farmers need to put that focus on the weed and disease management perspective to maximize the quality of the beans. It will ultimately end up benefiting them, and they’ll produce a crop they’ll get paid well for.”

Adzuki beans

Adzukis are another type of edible bean, although they have very few similarities to black and white beans.

Adam Ireland, a crop farmer near Teeswater, has been growing adzuki beans for nearly a decade.

“They are a completely different crop, even when comparing them to other edible bean classes. They are in a different family, and take more management all around,” says Ireland.

“I was looking for a more profitable option to add to corn, wheat, and soybeans.”

He notes that while they don’t provide many benefits to his rotation, they are a good human food source.

“They are a lower input crop, don’t take as much nitrogen, and have high protein content. But they are not great for soil health – they don’t have a great root system and are not giving back to the soil.”

As with any crop, there are benefits and challenges when growing adzuki beans.

“They are slow to get out of the ground. They have a hard seed coat and take a while to absorb moisture and germinate. They will also stay around for multiple years, so you will have volunteer beans to contend with.”

Their short stature and limited weed control options are additional challenges for growing adzuki beans. The reduced height of the plant can make harvest difficult, leading to increased field losses, and a slower canopy gives more opportunity for weed growth.

Some of the features that make adzuki beans challenging can also be their strength.

“Because they are slower to germinate, you can plant them a little earlier. If your planting window is open and you’re not ready to plant white or black beans, you could get adzukis in the ground because they are going to stay there longer,” says Ireland.

“It’s the same with harvest. With the hard seed coat, once they dry down, they won’t absorb moisture as much as other beans.”

Due to market challenges, Ireland chose to skip growing adzuki beans for the 2024 season.

“The world market is lower than in past years, so my local elevator decided not to be in the adzuki game this year, and that’s the main reason I decided against growing them,” he shares, explaining that Japan is the primary market for adzuki beans.

“It will be interesting to see what the market does in the next year.”

His advice for producers thinking about growing adzuki beans is to speak with other growers to get an idea of requirements and make sure there’s a market before planting.

“You should check that your equipment, especially harvest equipment, is able to get them out of the field, and you want to make sure you have a contract and a place for them to go before putting them in the ground.”

Flax

Flax is typically grown in the cooler climate of the Prairies and is known for its fibre and omega-3 fatty acid content. This crop may fit into rotations in lower heat unit regions.

A Blue Mountain area flax farmer says that they switched out canola for flax in their rotation due to the lower inputs and earlier harvest. They have been experimenting with flax for 15 years, and it became consistent in their rotation five years ago.

“We mostly started growing flax so we could get our winter wheat in. Our beans are later maturing and there’s not much time to get wheat planted. It’s not often that we combine beans before the 20th of September,” says the flax grower, who prefers to have winter wheat planted before that date.

“We didn’t like canola because it was so costly. There’s seed cost, all the fertilizer, and the sprays. One year, we sprayed canola four times for flea beetle and didn’t get ahead of it, but flax doesn’t have any insects that like it. We can also keep our own seed back for flax.”

Harvesting flax requires forethought. The grower explains that flax can be hard on equipment, and upkeep of machinery can be costly.

“It’s not the nicest crop to work with,” they explain.

“It likes to wrap on bearings and burn things. If you smell smoke, you better stop.

“When it’s standing, it’s okay, but when it’s down, it’s a problem.”

The straw needs to be managed after harvest. The growers find it bunches and collects under the tool bar during seeding if not removed from the field.

Marketing flax can also be a challenge. The large quantities grown in the Prairies relative to Ontario mean that local buyers may be limited.

“There’s no consistent market. You can’t just take it to any elevator and most feed mills don’t buy it. You have to be prepared to hang on to it,” says the flax grower, who notes that the higher price has changed the market.

“A few years ago, when flax was $1,700 a tonne, some mills were using it in chicken feed for the omega-3, but now the price is back in the real world. There is a market at a feed mill if you can make the deal, but then you have to have enough to keep them going all year.”

If producers are prepared to manage the marketing, flax can offer another option for shorter-season crops.

“For the guy who wants to just grow a crop and drop it at the elevator, flax isn’t for them.

“It’s been higher priced than canola and has lower input cost. But it’s a Catch-22. If you are going to grow it, you have to go over your header. If there’s anything that will catch straw, it can’t be there, and you have to replace your knives. If you are going to go over 10 acres, it might not be worth the overhaul on your combine to do it.” BF