A pea aphid infestation of a faba bean plant. These crop pests suck the juice out of a plant’s leaves, stem or roots, which, 
in turn, can result 
in significantly 
lower yields due 
to reduced seed formation and smaller seed size.

Don’t let pea aphids suck the yield out of your plants

Assess your risk, scout your crop, cultivate beneficial insects and watch crop timing

The pea aphid may not look all that terrifying, but the tiny sap-sucking pest is capable of sending shivers down the spines of even the hardiest pulse farmers in some parts of the Prairies. Pea aphids are so named because of their attraction to field pea plants but virtually any pulse crop, including lentils, faba […] Read more


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

Pulse weekly outlook: Still early in season to switch crops

Decisions likely in next couple of weeks

MarketsFarm — With dry conditions dominating western and southwestern Saskatchewan and wet conditions prominent in the province’s east and northeast, at mid-May it remained early to consider switching pulse crops to something else, according to Carl Potts, executive director of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. Overall, he said, spring planting throughout the province as of May 9 […] Read more




File photo of flooded cropland in the RM of St. Andrews, north of Winnipeg. (Manitoba Co-operator photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: Wet weather delays southern Manitoba seeding

Soybeans could take yield hit if planted in June

MarketsFarm — Another blast of heavy precipitation across southern Manitoba, the third in as many weeks, has already delayed seeding for pulses, according to a production specialist. Laura Schmidt, a production specialist for Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers, said the 40 to 50 millimetres of rain across the region on April 29-30 all but guaranteed […] Read more


File photo of lentils being moved into bins in Saskatchewan. (Bobloblaw/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Lentil acres likely up in 2022

Other pulses likely down, though

MarketsFarm — Statistics Canada released its first survey-based crop acreage estimates of 2022 on Tuesday, reporting that while more lentil acres may be planted this spring, other pulses are expected to have their seeded area shrink. The national data agency projected 4.49 million acres of lentils will be planted in Canada this year, a 4.2 […] Read more

(iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: No worries about delayed planting in Manitoba

'Farmers can get stuff in pretty quick'

MarketsFarm — Despite an influx of snow across southern Manitoba, with more precipitation in the forecast for this week, a provincial pulse specialist isn’t too concerned about the potential for late planting of pulse crops. “The moisture is welcome, but it’s not the weather we would like to see at this time of the year. […] Read more