Mother Nature has given the prairies many different crop conditions this year, and Saskatchewan is no exception to this rule. For the most part, Saskatchewan pulse growers are seeing very dry conditions, although this has helped keep disease levels down, notes Sherrilyn Phelps, agronomy specialist with Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, in this latest Pulse School episode…. Read more »
Category: Pulse School
Pulse School: Checking up on disease development and nodulation
With variable conditions across the prairies, pulse crop development also varies, but many fields are either in flowering, or beginning to flower. In this Pulse School episode, Robyne Bowness-Davidson, pulse research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, fills us in on what she’s been seeing so far this season, and what growers should be keeping… Read more »
Pulse School: Fusarium doesn’t just impact your wheat crops
When most producers hear the word “fusarium” they think of fusarium head blight, and how it impacts their wheat crops. Fusarium also attacks pulse crops, but in this situation, it goes after the roots. Fusarium avenaceum is the species that’s commonly associated with root rots in peas. It’s also a fungus that causes fusarium head blight… Read more »
Pulse School: It’s time to scout for ascochyta
When it comes to economic impact, ascochyta — also referred to as mycosphaerella blight — is a serious concern in peas, lentils and chickpeas. In this Pulse School episode, we talk to Nevin Rosaasen, about how to scout for ascochyta, and the importance of timing when it comes to fungicide application. “When you are going out… Read more »
Pulse School: Assessing the culprit(s) causing a root rot problem
For parts of Western Canada, the rain keeps on pouring. Early wet conditions could be conducive to root rot problems in pulses. Fortunately, for three of the four main culprits —rhyzoctonia, fusarium and pythium, the plants will generally grow through the vulnerable early seedling stage if a seed treatment has been applied, notes Robyne Bowness-Davidson, pulse… Read more »
Pulse School: What you need to know about the critical weed free period
Pulse crops tend to not be as competitive as other crops, such as cereals, which is why we refer to it as the critical weed free period early in the growing season. By definition, these are growth stages in the crop that must be kept weed free to prevent yield loss. In this Pulse School episode,… Read more »
Pulse School: Preventing damage by the pea leaf weevil
As peas and fababeans emerge, at least one potentially devastating pest already has made an appearance — the pea leaf weevil. In this Pulse School episode, we talk about how to deal with the weevils if you are seeing them now, economic thresholds for control, and how to avoid them in the future. Pulse research… Read more »
Pulse School: Assessing In-Field Tools for Managing Aphanomyces (Do I Have to Wait Six Years?)
Taking a break from peas or lentils for six years is a tall order for fields where aphanomyces has been a problem. Are there in-field options or tools for managing this relatively new disease? Syama Chatterton, pulse crops pathologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge, has been conducting field trials across the prairies over the last two… Read more »
Pulse School: Sorting Out the Pulse Export Problem With India
With seeding just two months away, Canada’s pulse crop industry is in limbo, facing the threat of not having access to its largest export market as of the end of March. India’s government says it will not extend a derogation (or an exemption) allowing pulses from Canada to be fumigated with methyl bromide upon arrival, rather than… Read more »
Pulse School: Pulse Crop Rotation Options in the Face of Root Rots
Tough to say and even harder to control, aphanomyces has the potential to significantly reduce pea and lentil yields, and can stick around in the soil for an extremely long time. It’s recommended that farmers not plant pea or lentil for five to six years if aphanomyces has been confirmed in a field, but that’s… Read more »
Pulse School: Majority of Lentils In Top Two Grades: CGC Survey
The wet weather during the 2016 growing season and harvest took a toll on lentil crop quality in Western Canada, but more than half the crop samples submitted to the Canadian Grain Commission’s harvest survey still fell in the top two grades. “For green lentils, we’re seeing 11.2 percent grading number one and 49.2 percent number… Read more »
Pulse School: Improved Root Rot Resistance Coming for Peas
With wet growing conditions in many areas and high prices driving tight pulse crop rotations, the table was set for root rot to feast on pea stands in Western Canada this year. While one of the main culprits — aphanomyces — was first confirmed in Saskatchewan in 2012 and in Alberta in 2013, testing on the pathogen… Read more »
Pulse School: Taking the Bite Out of Off-Flavours
Canadian researchers are working on ways to increase the use of pulses in snack foods, not just as a tool to improve market access for producers, but also as a way to improve the nutritional aspects of processed foods. “We’ve been working with pulses at CIGI here for over a decade now and we’ve learned… Read more »
Pulse School: Herbicide Layering — The Tag Team Approach to Fighting Weeds and Resistance
“Herbicide layering” looks to be an effective approach to managing hard-to-control cleavers in pulses. As Eric Johnson, weed scientist at the University of Saskatchewan, explains in this Pulse School episode, herbicide layering is the application of different modes of action sequentially. It usually involves a pre-seed soil-applied herbicide, such as sulfentrazone, ethalflurolin or pyroxasulfone, ,… Read more »
Pulse School: Making the Call on Pea Aphids
Pea aphids populations have been reaching problematic levels in some parts of the Prairies over the last few weeks. In this Pulse School episode, Dennis Lange, provincial pulse specialist in Manitoba, says they’re still a concern in some areas. “We’re at the stage where some of the later seeded pea fields are in the late flowering stage, pods… Read more »