This February, farmers in the Weenen area of KwaZulu-Natal chose to plant the STARKE AYRES bean variety STAR 2007. The STAR 2007 delivered amazing results. Sarel le Roux was pleasantly surprised with the yield after the wet conditions in February 2021. STAR 2007 produced 20 tons of beans per hectare and did not only break the scale, but also exceeded all expectations. Sarel was one of the first farmers to plant STAR 2007 in the province.
This variety has a strong plant that can survive tough weather conditions and yields a bean that is heavier. That was evident this year after a wet February with few to little sunny days. Sarel also provides beans to the processing market and STAR 2007 was ideal for this purpose. Our farmer was so pleased with this variety that he is sure to plant it again. STAR 2007 has an impressive disease package with high resistance to bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) and rust (Ua). The upright plant provides an excellent leaf canopy and the STAR 2007 characteristics contribute to a dark bean with an exceptional gel percentage.
What impressed Sarel the most about STAR 2007 was the fact that these plants gave a big first flush of beans, which met all the strict regulations it needed to comply with. The flushes are strong and compact, with long straight beans that give a high yield. Even with challenging weather conditions STARKE AYRES produced amazing results and there is no doubt that STAR 2007 will yield many more tons of beans on Middagson farm with Sarel’s help.
