There is no mineral that provides nitrogen for plants. No rock, like there is for phosphate or sulphur. There is some nitrogen in the organic matter of soils but any additional nitrogen that a plant needs has to come out of the air. The good news is that about 78 percent of the air around… Read More
There is a nondescript building in the north end of Saskatoon that produces live organisms that are shipped around the world to help plants feed themselves and produce grain. It takes some management to make sure the live organisms make it to their destination – farmer’s fields – healthy and vibrant, so they can get… Read More
Each fall the Western Forum on Pest Management meets to review the previous growing season. Scientists, researchers, and agronomists get together to compare notes on what happened during the previous growing season. This helps everyone get a better understanding of the issues so that they can help each other help farmers. Dale Leftwich, field editor… Read More
Dry beans are not too common on the western plains but they do have a nice fit in certain areas. One of those areas is the Riverhurst irrigation district along Lake Diefenbaker in Saskatchewan. That’s where RealAgriculture field editor, Dale Leftwich, caught up with Riverhurst area farmer, Jeff Ewen for this episode of Pulse School…. Read More
Faba beans seem to grow forever. They don’t, but their days to maturity are about five days longer than most varieties of wheat, so it feels like forever when you are trying to get harvest started. This is why it’s important to know what to look for, and then what to do, when it comes… Read More
We know that peas do not compete very well against weeds. They need some help, especially early on. At the recent Agriculture In Motion field day that was held near Langham, Sask., BASF had a plot to showcase weed control strategies in pulses. In this episode of the Pulse School, field editor Kelvin Heppner talks to Bethany… Read More
All farmers are concerned about how markets have been adversely affected by tariff and fumigation restrictions placed on imports in to India. Peas are of special concern. Markets are certainly roiled, but some new buyers have stepped in to take up some of the slack. Marlene Boesch of Mercantile Consulting Ventures was at the recent… Read More
Pulse Canada is always looking for ways to diversify markets, helping to create price stability for the commodity. In this episode of the Pulse School, field editor Dale Leftwich talks to Jackie Tenuta, director of market development for Pulse Canada, about the 25 by 2025 strategy. Tenuta explains “Essentially what it comes down to is finding… Read More
In any crop, it’s just as important to know what is going on under the ground as it is to know what’s going on above ground. In a pulse crop, it is particularly important because pulses fix their own nitrogen and you have to actually see the roots to know what is going on. In… Read More
It is important to get into fields often to monitor plant development and growing conditions, but for the pea crop it’s especially important at early flowering. In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Pulse School we talk to Wendy Schatz Leeds, lead agronomist with Sharpe’s Crop Services, about why early flowering is a critical time to scout pea fields…. Read More
Pulse planting conditions were mostly dry this spring, but many farmers were able to seed into moisture. In most cases, plant emergence has been good, and with recent rains the crop is ready to move into high gear. That means it’s time to do some scouting! Dale Leftwich, Saskatchewan field editor for RealAgriculture, stopped in… Read More
While yield and lodging attributes will always be critical, pulse crop breeders have placed a high priority on root rot resistance in recent years, and are increasingly focused on the nutritional profile of new pea, lentil and chickpea varieties. Tom Warkentin, pulse breeder at the Crop Development Centre at Saskatoon, joins us for this Pulse… Read More
India’s government made no attempt to veil the reason for imposing tariffs on pulse crop imports in late 2017. “Cheap imports, if allowed unabated, are likely to adversely affect the interest of the farmers,” said a statement from the Indian government, announcing the 30 percent import duty on lentils and chickpeas in December. The tariffs on… Read More
India’s move to impose prohibitive import tariffs on peas, lentils and chickpeas has left a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the pulse market heading into the 2018 growing season. After back-to-back bumper crops domestically, India implemented a 50 percent tariff on pea imports in November, followed by a 30 percent tariff imposed on lentils and… Read More
Construction has started on a large pea processing plant in central Manitoba that’s designed to process more than 100,000 tonnes per year starting in 2019. The new processing facility at Portage la Prairie will undoubtedly boost demand for peas on the eastern side of the prairies, however, there’s a big question that has yet to be… Read More