Reading Time: 3 minutes Only one hand shot up when Neil Whatley asked a recent crop tour near Castor if anyone was growing lentils this year. Luckily, a more rigorous Statistics Canada survey tells the real story — there are a whole lot of hands growing lentils this year. “There’s close to six million acres on the Prairies this […] Read more
Pulses’ popularity points to bright future
The boom in pulse acres may just be getting started thanks to rising demand, better varieties, and strong profitability
Lentil harvest — and marketing — comes with a learning curve
Lentils stay green into harvest, but you don’t want to wait too long
Reading Time: 3 minutes With Alberta lentil acres more than doubling in 2016, this fall will be the first-ever lentil harvest for a good number of growers. The trick to doing it successfully? Patience, said Nevin Rosaasen, policy and program specialist with Alberta Pulse Growers. “Harvesting lentils can be tricky, and you need to be patient,” said Rosaasen. “Lentils […] Read more
Chickpeas see good start to a long season
CNS Canada –– Canadian chickpeas have a long season to go, but so far the crops look like they’re in it for the long haul. “We have a fair amount of chickpeas in and they look phenomenal, they’re in full flower and looking as healthy and as good as a chickpea crop can at this […] Read more
Guenther: Farmers aim to keep pulse diseases in check
Rain makes grain, the saying goes — but too much spring rain and farmers are likely to see disease in pulses. That’s certainly been the case in Saskatchewan, where farmers in most regions are actively scouting for, or in some cases spraying for, crop diseases, according to the provincial crop report. So which leaf diseases […] Read more
More pulse acres expected to affect handling dynamics
CNS Canada –– Canadian grain handlers are curious how dynamics and timing in the rail freight sector will be managed in the upcoming season, given an expected boost in pulse crop production . For the moment, however, Prairie grain movement has dropped to seasonal lows. This year’s pulse area will likely be the largest on record, according to early estimates […] Read more
Canada’s pulse acres set to rise, wheat likely lower
CNS Canada –– Early seeding operations are already underway in parts of Western Canada, and the general sentiment is that farmers are planting more peas and lentils at the expense of most everything else. Statistics Canada releases its first survey-based acreage estimates of the year on Thursday. “I think we’ll see a surge in pulse […] Read more
You’ll love this year’s prices — and next year’s yield bump
Studies have found crops grown after pulses have some eye-popping yield increases and other benefits, too
Reading Time: 3 minutes Record-high prices have many producers taking a closer look at pulse crops — but the full benefit may not be seen until next year. “There are some real advantages to crops that follow pulses in the rotation,” said Mark Olson, unit head for pulse crops at Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “It’s widely documented in research […] Read more
Other Manitoba pulses may eat edible beans’ lunch
CNS Canada –– As insatiable demand for lentils, peas and other major pulses grows louder, so do expectations for more pulses to be planted in Manitoba. When it comes to edible beans, however, acreage is expected to go down slightly, not up. “We’re probably going to be around the 110,000-acre range — a bit down […] Read more
Growers plan to plant pulses, but seeds scarce
CNS Canada — Farmers are eager to grow peas and lentils this year, but sourcing those seeds could prove difficult, according an industry group official. “We have heard that given the expected increase in area for both peas and lentils this year, the availability of good-quality seed could be a challenge,” said Carl Potts of […] Read more
Potential for fewer flax acres seen this year
CNS Canada — While area seeded to flax in Canada has been increasing over the past four years, that upward momentum may halt in 2016-17. Flax’s cost of production is higher than many of its rivals and the growing lustre of pulse crops could cut into some acres, according to one industry watcher. “It’s too […] Read more
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