Every year, adzuki beans grown in Ontario fields find their way to markets in southeast Asia where they are synonymous with sweat treats — everything from pastries to candy bars and even adzuki-flavoured Pepsi.
On this episode of the RealAgriculture Edible Bean School, host Bernard Tobin discussed adzuki end uses, market opportunities and agronomics with Hensall Co-op’s origination manager Wade Bickell and field marketer Barry Cavanagh.
Hensall started in the adzuki business in the mid 1990s. At that time, an agronomic exchange between C0-op and Japanese agronomists helped developed a strategy for growing the bean in Ontario. Bickell notes that adzuki beans have one big distinction when compared to other edible bean classes. Adzuki beans actually emerge out of ground and leave their cotyledons in the ground, similar to pea emergence.
Heading into 2023, Bickell says high prices for adzuki beans present “a great opportunity for Ontario farmers,” but growers need to ensure the crop is managed effectively.
Where do adzuki beans fit in Ontario? Cavanagh says they are not suitable for every acre. He recommends growers plant the high-value crop on their best ground and avoid planting the beans into heavy clay — well-drained fields with pH ranging from 6 to 7.5 is ideal. A good rotation is recommended to avoid white mould and root rot diseases. A minimum three-year rotation with wheat and corn is a solid approach and having a forage crop in your rotation is an added bonus. Good weed control in the rest of rotation is important for keeping hard-to-control weeds in check in an adzuki crop
#farming #adzukibeans #agriculture #food
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