It's the tale of two very different markets when it comes to red and green lentils, with both markets seeing early excitement to the upside earlier this year. But now, Chuck Penner says, red lentil prices have dropped off sharply from the highs, while green lentil prices are strong enough there are new-crop bids already... Read More
Category: Pulse School
Pulse crops are notoriously poor competitors against weeds due to their slow growth in the spring. This makes fall weed control essential for establishing a healthy pulse stand in the following year. According to Lyle Jensen of Agro Plus Inc., there are several key reasons why fall is the preferred time for weed control. First,... Read More
Pulse crops, for the most part, prefer drier conditions; however, the level of drought in some areas of the Prairies over the past few years has been too much for even them. Following multiple years of drought, it becomes more important for farmers to conduct soil tests ahead of planting pulse crops, such as lentils... Read More
Small plot research has its place, however, there is a need for field-scale research, too. When you take research to field scale, it allows for genetic and environmental interactions that may not show up in small-plot results, says Jagroop Kahlon, of Alberta Pulse Growers (APG). Kahlon presented about the APG Plot to Field program at... Read More
Drought or even just dry conditions can significantly impact a crop's ability to make use of applied fertilizer. What happens when there's plenty of nitrogen left in the soil ahead of rotating to pulses? That's the question being asked in a trial happening across three Saskatchewan sites through the Agri-ARM research network. Mike Brown, agronomy... Read More
Growing a new crop can be tricky for a number of different reasons. There are so many unknowns, and at the end of the day, a farmer needs to know they will make a profit off the crop. Robyne Bowness Davidson, pulse specialist at Lakeland College, has been working with lupins for 20 years. The... Read More
The pea crop may not be a perfect 10, but that's because its actually aiming for 13. What's that now? Nodulation is key to pulse crops' biggest super power: nitrogen fixation. But nodulation doesn't always go as planned, and assessing a crop's nodulation score can help determine yield potential and highlight where inoculation management may... Read More
As the lentil crop begins to emerge, there are many lessons to learn from walking fields early and assessing stand establishment. How does this stand look? Was emergence even? What could be done different next year? These are just some of the many questions that likely need asked every season. Ken Wall of Federated Co-operatives... Read More
For all crops, there's a critical weed free period — a time early in the season where the crop must be kept weed-free to prevent yield loss potential. For pulses, the length of time ranges depending on the pulse type. Ken Wall of Federated Co-operatives Ltd., joins this Pulse School episode to discuss why early... Read More
Growers spend the winter making sure the equipment is ready, the seed variety is selected, and the inputs are budgeted for. Some may forward sell crops, while others want to hold off and store it in their bins. Farmers work hard to make sure seeding timing is correct, and the soil conditions are fit. But... Read More