MOOSE JAW, Sask. – Research scientists continue to look for ways to increase pulse and special crop pro-duction in Saskatchewan.
Pulse crops are the smallest in terms of acreage devoted to growing them – 4.6 million acres in 2007. Total special crop acreage, including pulses, was 5.5 million acres.
Yantai Gan, an alternative crop agronomist from Agriculture Canada’s Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre in Swift Current, Sask., told producers in Moose Jaw recently that studies are underway to improve their position in chickpea and red lentil markets.
He is also looking at new special crops such as camelina and prairie carnation and new ways to produce existing crops, such as fall-planting peas and lentils.
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Chickpea production in 2007 saw the largest year-over-year increase among pulses at 44 percent. However, problems with ascochyta blight and delayed maturity continue to be concerns.
“When conditions are favourable, chickpea can keep growing without shutting down,” Gan said.
He has grown plants in a greenhouse for 24 months with no signs of stopping.
Researchers are examining what factors could encourage maturity.
Gan said field selection makes a small difference. His research has shown that chickpeas mature slightly earlier on barley stubble compared to fallow and wheat stubble.
Another experiment found that CDC Frontier matures seven to eight days later in wet years compared to Amit, CDC Anna and CDC Xena.
In terms of quality, a 2004 study found that Canadian red lentils rank behind those from Sri Lanka, Egypt, Turkey, Australia and India.
Gan said downgrading factors were a high moisture content of 13 percent compared to 11 or 12 from other countries, seed coat wrinkling, stains, discoloration and low milling quality.
Two years of a three-year study have been completed at plots near Swift Current and Saskatoon.
Researchers are looking at seeding time, seeding rates, varieties and harvest techniques.
Gan said seeding early is the best way to obtain better yields and minimize other problems. Variety didn’t make a difference in yield, and results from two Clearfield lentils, CDC Impact and CDC Imperial, were not higher than conventional lentils.
“If you do have a weedy field it might help,” he said of the Clearfield varieties.
A red lentil production strategy aims to grow the crop on 500,000 to 800,000 acres annually. It also hopes to market the selenium-rich food to Bangladesh and India, where people suffer from chronic low-level arsenic poisoning.
Gan also said the strategy aims for 12 percent moisture.
He added producers should not rush to desiccate red lentils. Reglone decreases milling quality, he said, and glyphosate takes too long to dry down.
Other work underway includes research into camelina, a wild flax that is a member of the canola family, and prairie carnation, which is also known as cow cockle.
Gan said camelina oil is a common staple in Europe and is the basis of the healthy Mediterranean diet. Work done so far involves seeding rates.
Camelina seeds are smaller than alfalfa. Gan said seeding 1.3 to 2.5 pounds per acre appears appropriate.
Prairie carnation is desirable for its 62 percent starch content. The fine starch is used in the cosmetic industry. It also contains saponins for soap and cyclopeptides used in pharmaceuticals.
Gan said he is researching weed treatments for this special crop.
“How do you manage weeds on a weed?” he said.
Researchers are also waiting for spring to see how peas and lentils planted at Swift Current during the first week in October will fare. Five varieties of peas and three varieties of lentils are all under the snow.
Other sites have been planted near Lethbridge.
Gan said Washington State University has developed more than 20 varieties of winter pulses. There, winter pea yields are 50 percent higher than regular peas.
