A collaborative program between six major crop commissions will look at the role of wetlands and their ecosystem services, over three years. “We’re very excited this year that we have a collaborative program to monitor Alberta’s wetlands,” says Nevin Rosaasen, policy and program specialist with Alberta Pulse Growers. “What we’re looking for is, first off,… Read More
Drought across much of the Prairies has caused pulse crops to become, for lack of a better term, “stagey.” Knowing how to stage a crop for, say, desiccation timing can be particularly tricky during such adverse growing conditions. In this Pulse School episode, Nevin Rosaasen, sustainability and government relations, Alberta Pulse Growers Association (APG), outlines… Read More
Decisions, decisions. There are many early season considerations that will factor into where to put your next crop of peas, lentils, chickpeas, or faba beans. Seed quality, environmental conditions, whether or not to treat seed, and pest concerns are just some that make the list. One of the great things about pulse crops is that… Read More
Team Alberta — which consists of Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions, Alberta Canola, Alberta Pulse Growers, and the Alberta Wheat Commission — have launched the new website for Alberta’s Crop Protection Guide. While the commissions are currently working to produce the 2021 “Blue Book” (paper copies will be available in March of 2021), they felt… Read More
Planning concerns for next year’s pulse crops stem mostly from disease concerns, especially aphanomyces. 2020 was a really wet year, and there were pockets that saw a lot of moisture, which resulted in increased roots rots and that nasty soil-borne disease — such as aphanomyces — which makes planning for the future crucial. “We saw… Read More
The Alberta Crop Protection Guide — or as it’s more commonly known throughout the province, “The Blue Book” — will now be produced by Alberta Wheat Commission, Alberta Barley, Alberta Canola, and Alberta Pulse Growers, says Erin Tateson, communications manager for Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions in the Grain Exchange newsletter. The four major crop… Read More
Team Alberta, which consists of Alberta Canola, Alberta Pulse Growers, and Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions, is working to continue on with Agronomy Update, one of the leading agronomy events in Alberta — virtually. The annual conference has traditionally been a two-day, in-person event hosted by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, that provides timely agronomic information… Read More
It seems to be the summer of storms across the Prairies, with some extreme weather events bringing devastating hail and damaging crops. Many farmers are walking their fields and seeing varied amounts of impact, and are asking the question: What now? Will my crop grow through this? Pulses can be extremely resilient crops, and as… Read More
Pulse crops are efficient water users. Field pea, lentil and chickpea are all great at adapting to drought-like conditions, which makes them a great option in just about every soil zone of the Prairies. However, being well adapted for drought means that most pulse crops do not like wet conditions, which isn’t really something farmers… Read More
Crop planning is well underway in the Prairies, and you may be in the middle of choosing what crop will go where. Of course, there are many things to consider, but looking at your soils is a large part — especially if you are growing pulses. Nevin Rosaasen, policy and program specialist with Alberta Pulse… Read More
Poor harvest conditions in Alberta have caused an unthinkable about of economic loss let alone stress for the farmer this year. Mix in the uncertainty of trade, ongoing disputes across the global political stage, and business risk management (BRM) programs not being equipped to handle the issues is a recipe for disaster, according to Team… Read More
It’s basically Agronomic Tuesday today, with a range of topics, including: Roots – resident agronomist Peter ‘Wheat Pete’ Johnson joins to talk about the wet spring and its impact on corn roots; Lodging – Amy Mangin, University of Manitoba PhD student, on managing lodging; Keeping it Clean – Nevin Rosaasen of Alberta Pulse Growers talks… Read More
If you are considering spraying either a pre-harvest application of herbicide or a desiccant on your pulse crops, keeping maximum residue limits —MRLs — in mind is imperative. In order to do this, growers have to be very cognizant and aware of how mature the crop is and the crop’s moisture level. “If you aren’t… Read More
A hot, dry growing season has pulse crops charging towards maturity — is it time for a desiccant or pre-harvest pass of glyphosate? Nevin Rosaasen, policy and program specialist for Alberta Pulse Growers, says that accurately staging a pulse crop, in this case lentils, is incredibly important to ensure farmers aren’t losing yield, crop quality,… Read More
Are you seeing yellowing in your pulse crops? If so, it’s most likely time to start digging. Jenn Walker, research manager with Alberta Pulse Growers, tells Kara Oosterhuis that yellowing above the ground is a good indication that something is going on below ground. In this Pulse School episode, Walker talks specifically about root rots, such… Read More