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My first spring sowing (March) of broad beans produced plenty of pods, but about 40% of them were distorted and completely empty.  Anyone know what the problem could be?  The second sowing from about a month later seem OK so far.  The variety is Bunyards Exhibition.

Hi Gill, there are a few answers here but a bit complicated. Distortion could be black fly, stem nematode or pea aphid. Failing to set could be lack of pollinating insects, broad bean stain virus or B/B true mosiac, the last two are spread by the pea aphid. did you get any black fly on the plants? are the leaves an even green colour or are there any black or coloured spots on the leaves? if the seed came off a contaminated plant it is possible for the seeds to carry the virus or mosiac.

Is this why the supermarkets have stopped freezing Broad Beans?

The baby ones were so good!

It sounds like poor pollination. Any chance of pics? I get a mix, going from completely full pods to completely empty ones, with partly full ones being badly distorted.

Quote from: tim on August 02, 2008, 19:03:31
Is this why the supermarkets have stopped freezing Broad Beans?

The baby ones were so good!

The supermarkets will soon be full of frozen broad beans from this years bumper crop.

Last years crop was decimated by the wet weather hence the lack of frozen ones this time.

My local supermarkets are full of fresh BB's, which are far too big to be any good.