Pulse Agronomy Network

A new herbicide combination may control volunteer herbicide-tolerant canola plants without the risk of carryover that 2,4-D or other burn down products carry. Marketed by Nufarm, CleanStart combines glyphosate with carfentrazone for pre-seed burn down with no residual effects and no cropping restrictions. Producers generally grow pulses with limited crop protection products. Broadleaf weed control […] Read more

Pulse crop maturity advanced rapidly throughout most of the Prairies in 2006. Because pulse crops, other than dry beans and soybeans, are often planted first, this year’s early spring conditions in areas other than northeastern Saskatchewan saw early-seeded crops take advantage of warm soils and good rainfall in June, said Ray McVicar with Saskatchewan Agriculture. […] Read more

Farmers must take into account numberous factors when harvesting peas. Peas mature from the bottom up. At maturity, bottom pods are dry and pea seed will often rattle within the pod. Middle pods are yellow with the seeds dry and firm. Top pods look similar to the middle pods with a more greenish colour. Upper […] Read more

Land rolling can ease harvest operations and help produce a high quality pulse crop. The steel cylinder land roller is the most common roller, but a harrow-packer draw bar is a viable option if the land does not have rocks. Harrows, both tooth and tine, can break lumps and firm soil, but do not push […] Read more

Chickpeas are notorious for not maturing in Western Canada’s restricted growing season. Yantai Gan, researcher with Agriculture Canada in Swift Current, Sask., has been working on shortening the chickpea maturation period to help farmers get crops in the bin dry and with fewer green seeds. Field experiments were conducted at Swift Current and Shaunavon, Sask., […] Read more

Good weather during seed development is critical to the full maturity of the crop, according to Sarah Foster of 20/20 Seed Labs in Saskatoon. However, the poor environmental conditions experienced last fall can harm its quality, longevity and early field emergence this spring. “Testing seed this year has been extremely challenging for germination and vigour. […] Read more

Ascochyta blight is a fungal disease that under favourable conditions can severely reduce field pea yields and cause crop lodging. In 2005, field trials were conducted in north-central Alberta to evaluate pea yield response, thousand-kernel weight, standability and level of ascochyta infection of seeds when the fungicide Headline was applied. Five sites were chosen in […] Read more

One reason producers grow pulse crops is for their nitrogen benefits. Properly inoculated pulse crops are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by the crop, thereby removing nitrogen fertilizer from production costs. Fertilizer input costs are reduced and producers can grow high protein pulse crops and receive rotational benefits in the subsequent […] Read more

Soil nitrogen levels are usually higher after growing a pulse crop. Even though the crop uses available soil nitrogen during the growing stage, nitrogen is still available for the next crop through leaking of root exudates that are high in nitrogen and the later decaying of pulse crop residue. The amount of nitrogen available depends […] Read more

It hasn’t been a bad year for pulse production on the Prairies. Crops progressed well for the most part, especially those harvested before the wet fall weather. Exceptions are areas in southwestern Saskatchewan that experienced drought and low yields, plus areas in the southeast that experienced excess rainfall and problems due to disease and flooding. […] Read more