Potentials of Fababean As a Dual-Purpose Cash & Cover Crop in Northern California.

Fababean (Vicia faba) is one of the oldest field crops grown around the world for dry beans and green pods. Because of its substantial biological nitrogen (N) fixation and N benefits to soil, fababean is extensively promoted as a winter cover crop mix in California. Considering that land costs, seed and planting operation are some the major obstacles of cover cropping, we aim to identify some economic benefits of fababean that can enhance its cultivation. Fababean green pods and immature seeds are consumed by Hispanics (and other ethnicities) in the United States. The pods are also popular in other countries. This market offers potentials to increase the economic benefits and cultivation of fababean as a dual-purpose cash/cover crop in northern California. Two field trials were conducted at 1) a grower’s field and 2) at CSU-Chico Farm in the growing season of 2016-17. At the grower’s field, a large-seeded indeterminate variety was planted in the fall, and pods were hand-harvested during the March, April, and May of 2017. The crop produced a total of 5600 kg fresh pods ac^-1, and generated a gross income of $9000 and a net benefit of $3000 ac^-1. Although the crop’s N benefit was not quantified, it is expected that it added 60 to 90 lb N ac^-1 to the soil. In the second trial, the fababean germplasm, consists of 375 genotypes, was obtained from the Germplasm Resources Information Network and sown at two dates (Sep 20 and Oct 20, 2016). Morphological characteristics related to the pod production potential of the plant population will be presented in more details.