Broad beans revive winter fields in Guiyang

Guiyang promotes broad bean rotation with other crops to boost farmers' income. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

Supported by technical units such as Guizhou Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guizhou Lihe Agricultural Technology Co has been exploring a "broad bean + intercropping" model since 2019, conducting trial plantings in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province.

After years of practice, the company has introduced a series of varieties, including Guinong No 3, 21, 33, and Qixingdou, with Qiancan No 1, 2, and 3 currently under application. This year, these varieties have been promoted across 4,000 hectares in Guizhou, forming multiple intercropping combinations such as broad bean + chili, broad bean + rice, broad bean + corn, and broad bean + tobacco.

The average cost of broad bean cultivation is less than 600 yuan ($84.66) per mu, with a net income of about 1,500 yuan. When rotated with sorghum, the output value per mu can exceed 4,500 yuan — a 133 percent increase compared to sole sorghum cultivation.

The company also offers a guaranteed purchase policy, ensuring farmers' confidence and stable earnings. Broad beans are versatile and can be used in frozen dishes, protein powder, ready-to-eat snacks, and forage and straw returns — forming a green industrial chain.

The ecological benefits of broad bean planting are becoming increasingly apparent. After straw returning, soil organic matter increased by up to 27.6 percent and porosity rose by 15 percent. The Guinong No 21 variety fixes nitrogen equivalent to over 40 kilograms of urea per mu, reducing nitrogen fertilizer use in subsequent crops by 30 percent.