Which input do you think is the most critical to a pea crop’s success — starter N, inoculant type, fungicide seed treatment or seeding rate? If you guessed seeding rate, you get a gold star, but by how much and what impact, if any, do these other inputs have on maximizing pea yields? Those answers… Read More
Thriving in wet, soggy soils (and thus seldom acknowledged as a problem-pathogen in Canada), aphanomyces is difficult to differentiate from other root rot microorganisms based on symptomology alone. Molecular techniques and identification of spores in the lab are the best means of identification, and as of right now, there is no commercial test available for… Read More
Plant health is affected by a multitude of factors, making identifying problems in a field a daunting task. Nobody is capable of identifying every nutrient deficiency, disease symptom, insect species or weed present. But, anyone involved in production should clearly understand the ins and outs of scouting, and what you’ll need in order to ask… Read More
Ascochyta blight is a disease caused by three species of fungi, which are very difficult, if not impossible, to differentiate in the field. Fortunately, diagnosis of a specific pathogen causing ascochyta symptoms is not usually necessary, as control measures are very often the same. Out scouting? Look for purple-brown lesions on the stem, tendrils and… Read More
Applying fungicides to pulses early is crucial, particularly with polycyclic diseases which can spread through the canopy quickly. Downy mildew is one of these polycyclic diseases, but it’s trickier than most to control due to a few factors, says Kan-Fa Chang, research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Chang says limited fungicide options makes in-crop… Read More
Farmers who had included pulses in their initial crop rotations for 2013 are likely to rewarded for sticking with the crop thanks to continued big demand and lofty prices for most crop types. That’s according to Chuck Penner, owner of LeftField Commodity Research, who spoke with RealAgriculture.com’s Shaun Haney in this episode of the Pulse… Read More
Does your farm have the cleavers? In this episode of the Pulse School, Ken Sapsford, research assistant at the University of Saskatchewan, explains issues surrounding the abundance of cleavers across the prairies. With the shift towards no-till farming practices, cleavers, which were once considered a summer annual, are now overwintering, particularly in the presence of… Read More
We all know that pulling a roller behind the tractor in wet conditions is akin to rolling dough without flour, with one key difference: you likely never have to park your embarrassing, dough-covered rolling pin beside the highway for all to see. Conversely, in dry conditions, a roller can actually pulverize the soil, increasing the… Read More
Each seed treatment product protects against a specific list of diseases or insects, but it’s the overall impact of early season protection on stand establishment that has much more far-reaching impacts than simply avoiding disease infection. In this Pulse School episode, Wes Anderson, agronomy manager for Richardson Pioneer, does outline which seed treatments will protect… Read More
Pulses are well-known for their nitrogen-fixing capacity but not for their competitiveness. Weed pressure can really knock back yield, a situation made worse by a thin stand or early-season disease. Two key seeding management strategies for pulses are seeding rates based on an optimal plant stand count and disease control planning. Achieving the best established… Read More
Sliding pulses into rotation is a great way to bump up your crop rotation benefits, adds marketing and cash flow options and also adds nitrogen credits for subsequent crops. All that being said, the delivery of that added N is only possible if pulse seed is properly inoculated ahead of going in the ground or… Read More
The Canadian pulse industry can be proud of what it has accomplished in a relatively short time. From a tiny slice of the acres, to a set crop in many farmers’ rotation, pulses are a made-in-Canada success story. SEE MORE PULSE SCHOOL EPISODES Pulse growers have enjoyed steady growth of their industry and international markets… Read More
Lentil struggled in some areas this year, as areas of Saskatchewan still had a excess moisture or the hangover from it to deal with. Still other areas were very dry, or suffered from extreme weather. Of note, fields with tight lentil/wheat rotations certainly suffered lower yields versus fields with at least one year of an… Read More
In the last Pulse School episode, Dr. Bert Vandenberg, lentil and faba bean breeder at the University of Saskatchewan, outlined the market development challenges facing the faba bean industry. He noted, however, that the varieties farmers have to choose from are already a very good fit for much of the prairies. Duane Ransome, member relations… Read More
Faba bean, a very-high protein pulse crop, did very well under 2012 growing conditions. In fact, in many of the areas where the pea crop struggled, faba beans did quite well. Faba bean averages around 30% protein, making it an attractive feed ingredient. It’s also a common food ingredient in countries other than Canada. Bert… Read More