Pulse of the Prairies

The 2024 Winter Pulse Meetings have concluded but there are still opportunities to catch all the latest updates related to pulse agronomy, breeding and varieties, herbicide resistance, and disease management. In this episode SPG Agronomy Managers, Mike Brown and Meagen Reed, catch up with this year's presenters to discuss their areas of expertise: Agronomy for Lentils: Residual nitrogen ongoing project & lentil input study – Chris Holzapfel, Research Manager, Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation (IHARF) Agronomy for Chickpeas: Key takeaways & learnings from trials – Amber Wall, Research Technician, Wheatland Conservation Area Managing Herbicide Resistance – Martin Carr, Agronomy Manager, WinField United Chickpea Plant Health Update – Dr. Michelle Hubbard, Research Scientist Pulse Pathology, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Root Rot: Current situation & discussion on projects – Dr. Syama Chatterton, Plant Pathologist, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada and Dr. Sabine Banniza, Professor of Plant Pathology, Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan Limagrain Breeding Program Update – Lorena Pahl, Commercial Product Development Manager, Limagrain Cereal Seeds

In this episode SPG Board Member, Stuart Lawrence, sits down with the 2023 Pulse Promoter Award winner, Eric Johnson, retired weed and pulse scientist and agronomist, to discuss the impact Eric's career has had on pulse production. He offers insight into what the future may hold for weed control in pulses, and what innovations the future needs to achieve.

Winter is upon us, and Saskatchewan Pulse Growers has several education and networking opportunities available to producers and agronomists in the coming months. In this episode, Jasmine Hanson and Amanda Carlson of SPG's Marketing & Communications team give you a sneak peak of what to expect at the upcoming Pulse Variety Seminar, Winter Pulse Meetings, and Annual General Meeting. To learn more about these events and register, visit SPG's event page.

As growers start thinking about next production season, it may be worth considering some alternative pulse crops with a lower risk of Aphanomyces root rot. SPG Agronomy Managers Meagen Reed and Mike Brown discuss the benefits of growing small & minor acre pulses and the value they can provide to your crop rotation. Meagen explains why now is a great time to consider growing an alternative pulse crop and what regions might benefit from experimenting with soybeans, chickpeas, faba beans, or dry beans in 2024.

As growers start thinking about next production season, SPG Agronomy Managers Meagen Reed and Mike Brown are here with your must-have resources for 2024 planning. Mike explains why inoculants and seed treatments are key to setting next year’s pulse crops up for success and what products may be best for your operation. We will also learn how seed and soil tests help evaluate your disease risk and what that means for your rotation decisions. Related Resources Fertility Resources for Pulses →Inoculant Options for Pulse Crops →Seed Treatment Options for Pulse Crops →Why Invest in a Seed Test? →Soil Sampling 101 →Prairie Nutrient Removal Calculator →Aphanomyces Risk Evaluation App (AREA) →

How do you choose which pulse varieties to grow? How do you know which pulses will be best for your soil zone? In this episode, Laurie Friesen, SPG Seed Program Manager chats with Mark Watson from Watson Seeds Limited and breeders Drs. Bunyamin Ta’ran and Tom Warkentin from the Crop Development Centre. They discuss several new pulse varieties available to growers, the benefits of each, and tips on how to select which variety for your farming operation.  Learn more about new pulse varieties here.

Dry conditions across much of Western Canada are resulting in a smaller harvest than was hoped. The reduced yields mean potential export volumes will be lower as well. While the short supplies will generally be supportive for prices, how hard the market will need to work to do the necessary demand rationing will vary by crop. In this episode Jasmine Hanson, SPG's Digital Marketing Manager, interviews Jon Driedger, Vice President of Leftfield Commodity Research to discuss how the results of this year’s harvest will impact current pulse markets.  Read Jon's Pulse Market Report for September 2023.

In this episode, SPG’s Agronomy Managers, Meagen Reed and Mike Brown, along with SPG summer student Braiden Leppa, discuss how this year’s pulse harvest is going here in Saskatchewan. Editor's note: As of August 1, 2023, the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) has implemented a change so that grasshoppers, other insects, and insect parts are no longer a downgrading factor in lentils and are instead included in dockage. Visit the CGC's website to learn more.

In this episode Amber Johnson, SPG’s Director of Marketing & Communications, is joined by Dr. Julianne Curran, Vice President, Market Innovation at Pulse Canada, to discuss the Canadian pulse industry’s recent market development efforts and the latest outcomes and results of this important work.

In this episode SPG’s Agronomy Managers, Meagen Reed and Mike Brown, discuss the current situation with pulse crops in Saskatchewan including environmental impacts, pest pressures, and disease management. Additional Resources: FUNGICIDE OPTIONS FOR PULSE CROPS → FUNGICIDE INSENSITIVITY IN PULSE CROPS → INSECTICIDE OPTIONS IN 2023→ PRAIRIE PEST MONITORING NETWORK → ADJUVANTS: WHAT THEY DO & HOW THEY DO IT → OPTIMIZING SPRAY APPLICATIONS →

In this episode, SPG’s Director of R&D, Sherrilyn Phelps, sits down with Meagen Reed and Michael Brown, SPG's Agronomy Managers. They discuss minor pulse crops such as chickpeas, faba beans, soybeans, dry beans, and more. This episode focuses on what Saskatchewan producers need to know about these minor crops and why growers might consider growing them. Read the latest article on this topic here.

In this episode, SPG’s Agronomy Manager, Meagen Reed, sits down with Tom Wolf, a professional agrologist and co-founder of Sprayers101.com, to discuss everything from surfactants and adjuvants to optimizing your spray application. Read the New Fact Sheet on Optimizing Spray Applications Read the New Fact Sheet on Adjuvants

In this episode, SPG’s Director of R&D, Sherrilyn Phelps, sits down with Carl Potts, SPG Executive Director and Jason Reinheimer, Head of Cereals and Pulse Research with Limagrain. They discuss the new direction of pulse breeding in Saskatchewan, including an overview of where we have come and where we are headed in the future, as well as an update on one of our new breeding partnerships with Limagrain. Fast Facts about the Future of Pulse Breeding & Pulse Breeding Landscape Fast Facts about SPG’s Breeding Partnership with Limagrain

In this episode, SPG’s Executive Director, Carl Potts, sits down with Tracy Broughton, Executive Director of SaskCanola and Trent Richards, SPG Chair. They discuss how Saskatchewan's crop commissions come together to advocate on behalf of growers on broad policy issues including grain contracts and carbon policy. Click here to read the article on SaskCrops and collaborative advocacy for growers.

In this episode, SPG’s Executive Director, Carl Potts, sits down with Marlene Boersch, owner and managing partner at Mercantile Consulting Venture Inc. They discuss the market outlook for pulse crops including lentil, pea, and chickpea.

In this episode, SPG’s Executive Director, Carl Potts, sits down with the 2022 Pulse Promoter Award winner, Gordon Bacon, CEO Emeritus at Pulse Canada and Director, Food Systems for Global Pulse Confederation. They discuss some of Gordon’s achievements and best memories of his time working in the pulse industry.

There have been recent lambda-cyhalothrin label changes and subsequent product recalls for Western Canada. In this latest podcast episode Sarah Anderson, Agronomy Manager with SPG chats with Greg Bartley, Director of Crop Protection and Crop Quality with Pulse Canada about how these changes will impact pulse growers.

Choosing the right varieties for your growing region is important. With new pulse varieties being developed and released, there is increased opportunity to try something new in your rotation. In this latest podcast episode Laurie Friesen, Seed Program Manager with SPG chats with Nick Petruic of Petruic Seed Company and Brad Tomtene from Tomtene Seed Farm about new varieties, performance, and what they are excited to see going into the ground in 2023.

Voting has opened for SPG’s Board of Directors election. In this special podcast episode, we are airing interviews held with all five nominees so you can learn more about the candidates before casting your vote. Interviews were conducted by Neil Billinger, Agriculture Director of CJWW Radio on SPG's behalf. Tune in to learn more about the candidates and don't forget to cast your vote by November 30, 2022. Read candidate bios here. Growers will receive a voter package that will include a six-digit ID number, which is required for the electronic voting process. Voter packages will be mailed to registered pulse growers* in late October in a bright green envelope. Voting will open at 8:00 AM CST on November 1 at www.saskpulsevotes.com, remaining open until 4:30 PM CST on November 30. If growers prefer to vote with a paper ballot, the voter package will provide contact information to request a mail-in ballot. Important Dates: November 1, 2022 – Voting opens at 8:00 AM CST at www.saskpulsevotes.com November 30, 2022 – Voting closes at 4:30 PM CST January 9, 2023 – Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Annual General Meeting *A registered pulse grower is someone who has sold a pulse crop and paid levy to Saskatchewan Pulse Growers at any time since September 1, 2019.

Soil testing in the fall is a good way to determine fertility needs for the spring, and the key to a good fertility plan is a representative soil sample. In this episode SPG Agronomy Manager, Sarah Anderson, speaks with Dr. Diane Knight about different soil sampling methods, nutrient management, and how these topics relate to your pulse crop. Click here to read our new fact sheet on soil sampling.