(Dave Bedard photo)

Canola, wheat acres in opposite trends before StatsCan report

'Every commodity was offering options that were profitable'

MarketsFarm — Just days prior to Statistics Canada issuing its latest survey-based crop acreage report on Tuesday next week, analysts are estimating a rise in canola acres at the expense of wheat. “Coming through the winter and towards spring seeding, we were looking at canola prices that were at their highest levels of all time,” […] Read more



You may have only got up close and personal to fababeans at a field day (such as Canolapalooza in Lacombe in 2019) but the pulse may soon be more widely grown — especially if aphanomyces limits the ability to grow peas and lentils every three or four years.

What can you grow if root rot kicks out peas and lentils?

You may need an eight-year break between those crops, but there are some other pulses to consider

Reading Time: 5 minutes With aphanomyces threatening peas and lentils, what can producers do to keep pulses in the rotation? Pulse growers are being urged to go up to eight years between plantings of either peas or lentils, which dominate pulse acres in the province. “Our susceptible crops are pea and lentil and, to a lesser extent, dry bean. […] Read more

Pinto beans. (Vergani_Fotografia/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Manitoba crops emerge despite dry soils

Beans 'tougher than people think'

MarketsFarm — While Manitoba continues to deal with drought conditions in many growing areas, planting of pulses and soybeans is near done and some pulses are starting to emerge. “Pea and fava bean seeding wrapped up a while ago,” said Cassandra Tkachuk, production specialist for Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG). “Dry bean planting actually […] Read more


File photo of a pea crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: Peas, beans hold up in dry Manitoba

MarketsFarm — Of the pulses being planted in Manitoba this spring, field peas and dry beans appear the best able to handle the difficult drought conditions the province continues to experience throughout its growing areas. Field peas “have a relatively low water requirement, similar to dry beans,” Cassandra Tkachuk, production specialist with Manitoba Pulse and […] Read more

The yellow patches indicate that aphanomyces root rot has reached an advanced stage. But even if detected earlier, there’s nothing that can be done save not planting peas in this field for several years.

STACKED DECK: Root rot pathogen holds all the cards

You can’t spray aphanomyces or buy resistant varieties, so longer rotations are the only tool

Reading Time: 3 minutes Hard to spot, impossible to treat, and no resistant varieties. So when aphanomyces root rot does show up, you know you’ve got a long-term problem. “Once you see it, you kind of get scared and realize you’re stuck with it for a bit,” said Bow Island producer Will Müller. Because it is a soil-borne pathogen […] Read more


File photo of a chickpea crop in India. (Nikhil Patil/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Harvest shortcomings could open doors to India

MarketsFarm — As India’s pulse harvest continues, indications have been that initial projections might not be met — which could lead the world’s largest producer and consumer of pulses to allow more imports, MarketsFarm Pro analyst Mike Jubinville says. The Indian government expected about 11.5 million tonnes of chickpeas, but the harvest might bring in […] Read more

File photo of a pea crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: StatsCan’s pea, chickpea acres short of trade expectations

MarketsFarm — Numbers were seen as disappointing for dry peas and chickpeas in Statistics Canada’s survey-based principal field crop planting projections released Tuesday. The federal agency predicted 3.839 million acres seeded for dry peas nationwide, nearly a 10 per cent decline compared to last year. By comparison, MarketsFarm projected 4.38 million acres while Agriculture and […] Read more


Edmonton plant-ingredient company expands

Reading Time: < 1 minute Edmonton-based BioNeutra is getting a $2.9-million interest-free federal loan to grow its product line of organic plant-based food ingredients. The funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada will allow the company, founded in 2003, to buy equipment that will double its manufacturing capacity and move its bottling processes from a foreign supplier to its Alberta facility. […] Read more

Chickpeas. (Grigorenko/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Pulse weekly outlook: Seeding numbers may exceed USDA expectations

MarketsFarm — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) prospective plantings report, delivered March 31, provided a mixed bag for pulse growers in that country as far as the numbers are concerned. Some analysts, however, believe the actual acres seeded will top USDA’s projections. Increasing demand from China, India and a recovering domestic market have raised […] Read more