Green Bean Varieties for a Mechanical Picker

Green Bush Varieties

• Green bush bean varieties suitable for harvest by mechanical pickers need strong, sturdy stems to withstand the force of the pull by the machine. Hystyle is a hardy cultivar of green bean, propagated by a white seed, with a bushy formation and a dark green pod. Mechanical pickers cultivate this green bean for fresh market and processing use. Venture is a dark green pod-producing bush-bean plant with white seeds, and is used for both fresh markets and processing.

Wax Bush Varieties

• The wax bush is a type of green bean plant that develops yellow bean pods. Klondyke is a bushy green bean variety, grown from white seeds with yellow bean pods, harvested for fresh markets by a mechanical picker. Gold Rush forms from white seeds and produces yellow bean pods ready for cultivation within 53 days for market and processing use. Goldenrod is an early variety of bush bean with yellow bean pods that mature in 46 days for sale at markets.

French Filet Varities

• Haricots verts, or French filet, is a kind of green bean cultivated very early from bush bean plants for culinary uses; its elegant appearance and fresh, delicate taste make it a common choice among gourmet cooks. The French filet requires harvesting before the bean reaches ¼ inch in width. To preserve the texture of the French filet green bean, frequent cultivation is a necessity. Some cultivars of French filet--style green beans grown for harvest by mechanical pickers include Nickel, Grenoble and Straight 'N' Narrow.

Disease-Resistant Varieties

• Some types of bush bean plants have a heightened resistance to various diseases. Strike is a bushy green bean plant with a medium to light green pod, formed from a white seed, that matures in 55 days for market sale. This vegetable has a tolerance for the common mosaic virus and the NY-15 common mosaic virus strain. Bronco is a common mosaic virus--resistant variety of bush bean, with a deep green pod and white seeds, that produces quality green beans for mechanical harvest sold at markets.