Saskatchewan Pulse Growers put over $3 million into five studies boosting weed management

The Saskatchewan Pulse Growers is making an investment into a number of research options that will focus on weed management for pulse fields.

The organization is putting forward over $3.67 million into five projects, listed in their release:

1. Framework for a collaborative Kochia management program in pulses, Dr. Steve Shirtliffe, University of Saskatchewan – $2,470,285 
2. Investigating the potential of directed energy (blue light and mid-wave infrared light) as a method of harvest weed seed control on Canadian weeds, Dr. Breanne Tidemann, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Lacombe – $92,000 
3. Investigating weeds as alternative hosts to root rot disease complex in pulses, Dr. Breanne Tidemann, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Lacombe – $276,075 
4. Developing robust weed management strategies for pulse and soybean crops by integrating herbicides, cultural strategies, and drone spot spraying, Dr. Dilshan Benaragama, University of Manitoba – $686,000 
5. Utilization of crop life cycle diversity and crop diversity to manage herbicide-resistant kochia in pulses, Jessica Enns, Western Applied Research Corporation, Scott, SK – $146,503 

Director of Research and Development Sherrilyn Phelps talks about the projects and what producers might hope to see from them.

"We have such a diverse number of projects that are happening. So you know an overarching theme here is going to be better control options and pulses for growers and more refined strategies specifically focused on kochia management. So hopefully some new tools for the toolbox for growers. The other outcome is another tool for harvest seed management."

"Other things that we're hoping to come out of here is just some more information on the impact of kind of the weeds and legume cover crops and their influence on the root rot diseases that were facing within pulses and just kind of generally overall would be, you know, managing weeds in pulses and just better information and more refined practices."

Phelps says that overall she's hoping to see more work being put into the resources growers have for pulse products.

"We know that a lot of our herbicides, we need to use some more effectively and efficiently and in combination with other practices to really maintain and improve the control of weeds. So ultimately, a number of different outcomes hopefully."