Saskatchewan Pulse Growers is extending the temporary reduction of the levy it collects on pulses and soybeans grown in the province for another year, as it draws down its surplus accumulated with record pulse acres and strong prices in recent years. SPG reduced its non-refundable checkoff from 1 to 0.67% of gross sales on August… Read More
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
India’s government has give notice of another six-month exemption regarding its fumigation requirements for agricultural commodities shipped to the country, but it looks like shipments to Canada’s largest pulse market could face another trade obstacle — much higher inspection fees — upon arrival at Indian ports. Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) says “additional clarity is required”… Read More
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
The Saskatchewan Pulse Growers’ board of directors is keeping its levy non-refundable. The board had one year to respond to a resolution passed at the organization’s 2016 annual general meeting requesting the check-off be made refundable. SPG chair Tim Wiens informed members of the decision in a letter distributed December 13 (see below.) SPG is… Read More
With revenues climbing quickly alongside the number of pulse crop acres, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers is informing its members of a temporary reduction in the checkoff on pulses and soybeans grown in Saskatchewan. Effective August 1, 2016, the non-refundable levy on pulse sales will be reduced from 1% to 0.67% for one year, according to a… Read More
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers has reached a five year, nearly $23 million pulse crop breeding deal with the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan. The arrangement, which spans from 2015-16 to 2019-20, fulfills the third five-year term in SPG’s 15-year breeding deal with the CDC, focused on developing new varieties of peas, lentils, chickpeas,… Read More
Optimal seeding rates for faba beans can vary from less than 3 bushels per acre to over 6 bushels per acre due to a wide range in seed size. With spring around the corner, Sherrilyn Phelps of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers stresses the importance of knowing the thousand kernel weight of faba bean seed. “Depending on variety and… Read More
There were plenty of lessons to be learned about growing faba beans in 2015, as the number of acres covered by crop insurance in Saskatchewan tripled from just under 20 thousand in 2014 to around 60 thousand last year. “When you increase acres, there are definitely things we gain more information on,” notes Sherrilyn Phelps,… Read More
It’s that time of year when commodity organizations are holding district meetings and director elections. Farm group leaders and staff are always looking for new ways to get farmers out and to boost participation in the process of deciding how check-off dollars should be spent, including the process of deciding who should sit on their… Read More
If you’ve got your faba beans in the ground, as planned, it’s time to take a gander at the crop to assess the seeding depth, population and overall health of the plants. “The minimum plant stand to target right now is 45 plants/m2, so that works out to be 4-5 plants/ft2,” says Sherrilyn Phelps, agronomy and… Read More
Much of the prairies has seen frost or the risk of frost in the past couple of weeks, leaving a lot of us wondering how our plants have fared. For crops where the growing point is above the soil surface, frost can be devastating (think canola). But for many of our plant friends, the growing… Read More
The Pulse Promoter of the Year is an award given annually to celebrate the contributions of an individual in Canada’s pulse industry. On Monday, at Saskatoon’s CropSphere, the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) and BASF Canada announced Ed Seidle as the 2014 recipient. “With more than 60 years of successful pedigreed seed production and 25 years of crop… Read More
With the deadline for submissions just weeks away, farm groups are making their recommendations to the Canada Transportation Act Review Panel on how the Canadian rail system can be improved. Although the statutory review of the Canada Transportation Act looks at the legislative and policy environment surrounding the Canadian transportation system as a whole, grain transportation is getting priority consideration… Read More
In mid-July, the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Alberta Pulse Growers hosted the 2014 Select Grower Field Tour. Attendees had the opportunity to see pulse crops in various stages of breeding selection, ask researchers questions about varietal development and taste the fruits of their labours, with an impressive, pulse-themed lunch. Peruse our 2014 Select Grower… Read More