Chapter 5.22
5.22 -The Fava Bean and its Relation to Innovations in Overcoming the Negative Effects of Climate Change
Keely O’Donnell, University of Guelph, Canada
Suggested citation for this chapter.
O’Donnell,K. (2022) The Fava Bean and its Relation to Innovations in Overcoming the Negative Effects of Climate Change, In Farmpedia, The Encyclopedia for Small Scale Farmers. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.farmpedia.org
Fava Beans
Fava Beans, also known as broad beans, were domesticated in Israel, over 10,000 years ago, with wild seeds discovered at human settlements at Mount Carmel from 14,000 years ago (Caracuta et al, 2016). It was eaten by ancient Greeks, and Romans though now eaten all around the world. Today this bean is consumed mainly in Asian, Middle Eastern, European, and African dishes. (Alfaro, 2019).
Health Benefits
Fava beans provide a wide range of known health benefits, especially for pregnant women. One of the great benefits of these beans is the many ways in which it can be prepared such as being eaten raw, boiled, blanched, sautéed, or roasted in the oven, though traditionally they are put in soups, falafel, and in stews for consumption (Alfaro, 2019). This bean can be eaten fresh or frozen while maintaining full health benefits. What makes these beans so innovative and beneficial for consumption is the plethora of health benefits they provide. Fava beans have high levels of protein (19-39 g per 100 g) depending on the variety (Khan et al. 2015: Warsame et al. 2018). The beans also contain folate, as well as minerals including iron, zinc, calcium, and selenium which can help tackle micronutrient deficiencies and benefit prenatal health; unfortunately these levels vary depending on the environmental conditions. Research shows iron concentrations typically to be 23-94 mg/kg (Lombardo et al. 2016; Etemadi et al. 2018). Zinc levels vary depending on variety but typically range from 10-15 mg/kg (Baloch et al. 2014; Etemadi et al. 2018). Another significant attribute provided of this crop is the high levels of 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), which is the pre-cursor to dopamine and can assist in improving motor performance in Parkinson’s Disease patients (Ramirez-Moreno et al. 2015).
How to Grow, Harvest and Store
Fava beans are one of the most sustainable crops for smallholder farmers facing climate change for many reasons such as being able to grow in many types of climates and soils. Pulse crops assist in adding nitrogen to the soil by forming symbiotic relationships with bacteria in the roots that convert atmospheric nitrogen gas into ammonia fertilizer. Because of this, farmers need not apply nitrogen fertilizer unlike non-legume crops, such as cereals (Nemecek et al. 2008; Souza Monteiro et al. 2017). This is good for farmers, as nitrogen fertilizer can be costly and employ natural gas in its synthesis which is bad for the environment. Pea and other pulse crops have been shown to have some of the smallest environmental footprints of all foods and can be considered to be practically carbon neutral (Poore & Nemecek 2018). Fava beans still require other fertilizers such as phosphate and molybdenum, but this amount is significantly less than cereal crops.
Broad beans grow on an average of one node per week, and can grow up to 4.5 feet tall but can vary depending on the bean variety. When growing fava beans, it is important to know they grow best on neutral pH soil (6.2-6.8) that is not soggy/waterlogged (Iannotti, 2019). Fava beans are able to grow on hillsides where tens of millions of smallholder farmers live. The ideal sowing conditions involve placing seeds 50 mm deep, allowing for 100-150 mm of space between each seed to prevent lack of crowding as this can make beans vulnerable to diseases such as chocolate spot, leaf blight, and bacterial brown spot (Iannotti, 2019). Though early detection is key, these diseases can be prevented through crop rotation and widening row spacing. Because broad beans are a cool-season legume, the ideal temperature for plant growth is 15-20 degrees Celsius, and the ideal rainfall measurement should be at least 400 mm per season. Diverse fava bean seed varieties can be obtained from the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the main location is in Morocco. This is a link (https://excellenceinbreeding.org/ ) on how to register in order to gain access to different types of fava bean seeds; this program is affiliated with ICARDA. Broad beans are ready to be harvested when pods are pea-size and can be picked off the vine typically 85 days post-planting. Storage is essential after harvesting, and beans can be frozen, canned, or dried out. Fully grown pods take around 240 days to mature (Iannotti, 2019). Fresh fava bean pods should ideally be stored at 4.4-7.2 ˚C in appropriate packaging to seal in the moisture at 12-14% (Etemadi et al, 2015).
Opportunities and Constraints to Wider Adoption by Smallholder Farmers at a Time of Climate Change
Fava bean seeds are inexpensive to purchase: 1 lb costs on average of 6 US dollars (Etemadi et al. 2015). The crop requires little water compared to other common beans such as chickpeas (250-500 mm) while also using much less water than livestock (Sohl, 2016). In Sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 65% of land is degraded and suffering from poor soil fertility which in turn perpetuates hunger problems (Sohl, 2016). These crops can also be used as fodder for animals, therefore, reducing replacing feed. Another benefit of these beans is that they can be used as a break crop within cereal crop rotations due to their high levels of nitrogen absorption and CO2 emitters that keep the soil healthy and more soluble. In order to prevent disease spreading it is ideal to plant early in the season to avoid high levels of humidity while ensuring air circulation around plants (Etemadi et al. 2015).
In summary, fava beans are hard to grow in soggy or wet soil, which can be problematic during wet seasons in the subtropics, contributing to run off and soil erosion. If there happen to be reoccurring droughts, yields of this crop will greatly diminish as it needs appropriate water during germination. This crop is also very susceptible to prevailing diseases if not planted properly or looked after. Though there is immense potential for this crop, there needs to be more research and investment.
Links to Additional Resources
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1541-4337.12146 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO3P_TJx_so This video is a guide on how to sow and grow healthy fava beans.
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-grow-fava-beans-1403460 This link gives the reader a guide on how to plant and grow fava beans with a page of quick facts on temperature, sun exposure and when to picks beans.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fava-beans#section10 This website provides 10 interesting facts about fava beans and why they are a great part of any diet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlCliBw6CmY This video shows the viewer how to cook Egyptian slow-cooked fava beans.
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/time-plant-fava-beans-56345.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6W4EoQD2Q4 (England fava bean recipe) This video goes along with one of the sources below on the study of fava beans in England. The video gives the viewer recipes, and information about how to utilize the fava bean.
https://www.allrecipes.com/video/7396/grilled-fava-beans/ This recipe is teaching the viewer how to grill/pan fry fava beans that are unshelled.
References
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2. Caracuta, V., Weinstein-Evron, M., Kaufman, D. et al. 14,000-year-old seeds indicate the a. Levantine origin of the lost progenitor of faba bean. Scientific Reports, 6(1). 37399 (2016) DOI:10.1038/srep37399 3. Curatti, L., & Rubio, L. M. (2014). Challenges to develop nitrogen-fixing cereals by direct a. nif-gene transfer. Plant Science, 225, 130–137. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2014.06.003
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