Saskatchewan Pulse Growers has a new online feature to help farmers decide if it’s time to phase out that tried-and-true pulse variety for a new, better yielding option.
The Pulse Regional Variety Trial portal allows producers to check actual performance in the field of peas, lentils, fababeans and chickpeas. A map search feature zeroes in on field trials that are nearest to a particular farm.
It also gives an idea where it is feasible to plant certain pulses. For example, there are data for more than a dozen varieties of fababean from as far south as Redvers in the southeast of the province to Meath Park, at the edge of the boreal forest north of Prince Albert.
Read Also
Growing garlic by the thousands in Manitoba
Grower holds a planting party day every fall as a crowd gathers to help put 28,000 plants, and sometimes more, into theground
The portal contains regional variety trial data covering up to 12 years. Through the variety release program, the organization has made more than 120 pulse varieties available royalty free to growers. This is part of a 15-year breeding agreement the producer organization has with the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan. Agriculture Canada and private companies have also contributed varieties.
In 2021, SPG took over the running of regional variety trials for pulse and soybeans in the province. The trials are intended to provide unbiased and transparent data on long-term variety performance.
Taking these performance data online allows users to easily find data specific to a region then compare it across locations, years and varieties (subject to available data).
Seed for varieties appearing in the portal can be obtained through the Saskatchewan Seed Growers’ Association Interactive SaskSeed Guide or the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association Seed Locator.
The portal can be accessed by clicking the orange “Compare Pulse Variety Data by Region” button on the SaskPulse.com homepage or by going directly to rvt.saskpulse.com.
