Glacier FarmMedia — Harvest operations have already begun in Saskatchewan and in most parts of the province, pulse crops are in good condition.
Dale Risula, provincial pulse specialist for the Saskatchewan government, said while the southwestern part of the province had below-normal precipitation during the growing season, most of Saskatchewan saw sufficient moisture levels and satisfactory crops.
“The rest of the province is fairly decent. The crop looks like it’s going to generate a fairly decent yield and it will have good quality as well,” Risula said.
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He added that faba beans are not faring as well as peas and lentils, but their seeded area is dwarfed by those of other pulse crops.
Earlier seeded crops had to face the brunt of hotter temperatures earlier this summer and matured faster, Risula said, meaning that later seeded crops benefited more by late-season rainfall. As a result, crops seeded later seem to have better yield.
“It’s hard to say exactly what the balance is, but it will probably account for an average pulse yield for the season based on those criteria,” he said.
Risula also mentioned that the lentil crop has largely withstood the early heat. He also believes the warmer temperatures helped ward off root rot, a typical disease threat for pulse crops, as his co-workers noticed fewer samples in provincial labs.
In his travels between Regina and Lake Diefenbaker, Risula noticed that the harvest has started for pulse crops, although he was unsure of how much progress was made. The Saskatchewan government’s weekly crop report said as of Aug. 11, three per cent of the province’s lentil and field pea crops were combined.
Early indications suggest this year’s pulse crops in Saskatchewan will look very good as harvest progresses.
“It looks as though the crops are coming off quite nicely. The expectations are that this year’s yield will be average to above-average,” Risula said. “I hear lentils in the U.S. aren’t faring well this year, as well as in Australia. Exactly to what degree, time will tell. But the expectations are that Canada should have a pretty good quality product available and good quantity as well.”
