New pulse crop manual
The Saskatchewan Pulse Crop Development Board has released a new production guide.
Pulse Crop Production was written by Brenda Frick, with 30 contributors adding their expertise, including Al Slinkard and Bert Vandenberg of the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan.
The need for the manual has risen out of the growing popularity of pulse crop production in Saskatchewan, said Lloyd Affleck, vice-chair of the pulse board. He said pulses generated $160 million of revenue for Saskatchewan farmers in 1993-94, compared to $73 million in 1990-91.
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Affleck said he sees a steady stream of both experienced and new farmers interested in growing pulse crops, so there is need for a comprehensive “how-to” manual to produce pulses.
“Pulse crops represent a permanent change from the way we farm on the Prairies, and offer beneficial alternatives to grain producers,” said PAMI’s Gordon Hultgreen, whose technical expertise was used when compiling the manual. “First-time growers need to learn special management techniques. They have to look at the whole package.”
Topics covered include rotations, crop adaptation, equipment purchases and modifications, production techniques, insect and disease management, irrigation, harvest, drying and storage. Crops covered include lentils, peas, fababeans, dry beans and chickpeas.
Orders can be directed to the Sask-atchewan Pulse Crop Development Board in Regina at 306-781-7475. Cost is $30, plus $5 for shipping and handling, and $45 for out-of-province residents.
– Sask. Pulse Crop Development Board
Fall weed control
With much of the 1995 crop already in the bin, a lot of fall weed control has already been done with pre-harvest Roundup applications. Perennial weeds such as Canada thistle and quackgrass are best controlled with a pre-harvest application to reduce competition losses in next year’s crop. Thistle infested many crops this year so Roundup was in demand.
Post-harvest application of Roundup should be made as soon as possible after harvest to beat the killing frost. With last fall’s mild weather, the season for applying Roundup was extended because of the new fall growth that occurred with perennial weeds.
For winter annuals, a fall application of 2,4-D or MCPA is still an effective and an economical method of control. Narrow-leafed hawk’s beard is a weed proving difficult to control. It seems to be showing up in increasing numbers, especially in minimum soil disturbance seeding systems. However, increasing the rate of the phenoxy should help curb it. Spraying for winter annuals should be done after Oct. 15, but before freeze-up, as many winter annual weeds will still be germinating until then.
Dandelions have become a serious problem in some areas, especially where reduced tillage or zero-till seeding occurs. Tillage is still the most effective means of control even though it is not desirable when done in the fall because of the increased potential for erosion and reducing standing stubble for snow catch. Approximately one-third of Saskatchewan’s annual precipitation falls as snow, so it is important to keep as much of it on the field as possible.
Monsanto has recently added dandelion control to its Roundup pre-harvest label. Achieving 100 percent control isn’t likely, but 80-90 percent is possible, making it the most effective in-crop control treatment of dandelion available.
DowElanco is pursuing registration of a nonincorporated surface application of Edge in fields that have been in zero till or minimum disturbance direct seeding for at least the last three years. Registration for this fall doesn’t look likely.
– SWP Production Perspectives
