The Bean Report

The Bean Report – November 18, 2020

November 18, 2020

2020 Pulse and Soybean Variety Guide

New! The full suite of pulse and soybean variety evaluation data is now available online.

The highlighter test is the best way to compare statistical differences between varieties. We can be confident that yield differences outlined by the LSD are due to the genetics of the variety and not from environmental or experimental error.

Soybean Variety Selection

Herbicide-tolerant and conventional soybean varieties are tested at several locations across Manitoba each year. In our annual soybean variety guide and in Seed Manitoba, the results are reported by eastern and western sites, and for the second year now, we have reported first-year soybean entries separately.

Criteria to help you select the best variety for your farm:

  • Maturity zone – Start here to narrow down the list of soybean varieties suitable to your location using the maturity zones map and days to maturity. This is your key for what will mature before a fall frost in your region.
  • Yields – Find long-term yields in the variety description tables and 2020 yields in the yields by location tables. Use the highlighter test to compare statistical differences among varieties (see example below).
  • Type – For the herbicide-resistant varieties, type indicates if it is an Xtend, Enlist or Roundup-Ready variety.
  • IDC, PRR, SCN – Based on what’s most important for your farm or specific fields, next consider IDC ratings, Phytophthora root rot (PRR) resistance genes and soybean cyst nematode (SCN) resistance of varieties.

Highlighter test example: S007-y4 selected as the check variety (highlighted in yellow) for herbicide-tolerant soybeans in the very early- to mid-season maturity zones. Values highlighted in green yielded significantly more at that site-year, while those highlighted in red yielded less. No highlight means no difference.

To be sure you are selecting a registered variety for next year, look it up in the CFIA database. Note that some varieties have already been de-registered and more are designated for de-registration over the next few years.

Pea Market Classes

Like dry beans, field peas are made up of several market classes. Manitoba’s insured field pea acreage consists of yellow (90%), green (6%), forage (4%), marrowfat (<1%) and maple (<1%).

Yellow peas are typically destined for human consumption, protein extraction and fractionation. They do not bleach in the field so they can handle delayed harvest and later desiccation timing (to reduce greens). Yellow peas are widely purchased by grain buyers, while other classes are more specialized.

Green peas are more often destined for human consumption and livestock feed, and as a result, quality is more demanding. This market class is at risk of bleaching in the field, which will result in downgrading.

Field Pea Variety Selection

In 2020, yellow, green, maple and forage pea varieties were tested across Manitoba at Arborg, Boissevain, Carberry, Hamiota, Melita, Morden, Roblin and Swan River.

Yield

  • Long-term yields (as a % of the check variety) are available in the variety description table and 2020 yields are in the yields by location table. Select the location with growing conditions closest to your own and scroll to the bottom where the LSD value is listed.
  • Use the highlighter test to compare varieties using this LSD value. Compare varieties to the existing check, or select your own check variety—one that you are familiar with or one you’ve grown before.

Highlighter test example: AAC Carver selected as the check variety (highlighted in yellow) for yellow peas. Values highlighted in green yielded significantly more at that site year, while those highlighted in red yielded less. No highlight means no difference.

Maturity

  • Rated as early (-3 days), medium (-2 to -1 days) or long (0 to +3 days) compared to the check, CDC Amarillo (94 days to maturity).
  • Unlike soybeans, you don’t need to plan around the frost-free period, but selecting a variety based on maturity rating can help you manage your harvest timeline.
  • Pea breeders at AAFC-Lacombe have shown that higher yields are positively associated with taller plant height and later maturity (Figure 1).

 
Figure 1. Relationship between maturity and yield of AAFC yellow pea varieties. Source: D.J. Bing (AAFC – Lacombe).

Disease Resistance

  • All varieties have fair resistance to Mycosphaerella blight and most varieties have very good resistance to powdery mildew.
  • There is no resistance available for Aphanomyces root rot at this time.
  • Fusarium wilt, a vascular and relatively weak root rot pathogen caused by F. oxysporum, affected 47% of pea crops in Manitoba in 2019. Varieties are available with fair or good resistance, though there are different strains of this pathogen. Varieties with good resistance to one strain may be susceptible to other strains.
  • Fusarium avenaceum is the predominant species of the fusarium root rot complex in peas, which affects almost all pea crops in Manitoba each year. This species infects most crop types grown in Manitoba, but peas and lentils are its preferred hosts. Some genes have been identified that provide partial resistance to this species. The Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan has been screening varieties in the greenhouse to find resistance among currently-available varieties (Figure 2).
    • Yellow pea varieties identified with improved resistance to F. avenaceum include, CDC Meadow, CDC Lewochko, AAC Ardill, CDC Canary and AAC Carver (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Pea cultivar susceptibility to infection by Fusarium avenaceum from greenhouse screening (AW=Australian winter; D=dun; F=forage). Source: Sabine Banniza (CDC, U of S), found in the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Fusarium Root Rot in Pulse Crops Fact Sheet.

Quality Factors

  • Protein – Available online at seedmb.ca, reported on a dry matter basis.
  • Seed size – Peas can range widely in seed size. This influences your seeding rate and seed cost. Smaller seeded varieties are often cheaper to seed and are less likely to plug equipment, while larger seed with good quality may have a market premium.
  • Green seed coats – Applicable to yellow and forage peas. This is a measure of how tolerant the variety is to having green colouring in the seed coat or cotyledons at harvest. This won’t affect germination, but could affect grade.
  • Seed coat breakage – Refers to the durability of the seed coat, but not the thickness. Varieties with lower ratings may need extra care during handling and harvest to minimize damage.
  • Seed coat dimpling – Grading may be impacted if peas dimple severely.
  • Seed coat bleaching – Only applicable to green peas. Most varieties all good tolerance. Harvesting green peas early will help prevent bleaching.

 

MPSG Market, Policy and Communications Update

  • Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers (MPSG) remains a part of conversations surrounding an improved suite of business risk management (BRM) programs for our farmers. This includes talks with national and local policy groups, as well as local politicians. MPSG Executive Director Daryl Domitruk has been participating in BRM-related calls with other commodity groups ahead of the federal-provincial agriculture ministers meetings on Nov. 20 and 27.
  • This week is Grain Week, so MPSG is busy working with its board of directors who sit on the policy committee. Grain Week is a Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) initiative that takes place in Ottawa and is aimed at raising awareness among law and policymakers of the issues and challenges facing the agricultural sector. This year’s schedule of meetings with Members of Parliament is taking place virtually. Here is a video GGC and CropLife Canada put together to kick off the week and to share with lawmakers, featuring MPSG board member Brendan Phillips:
  • Pulse Beat will be in your mailbox shortly. Roquette supplied an update, as did the other groups MPSG supports and relies on for market and policy expertise. And, of course, it will feature a slate of relevant research, production and variety information.
  • MPSG is excited to be offering its famer members an exclusive 2021 Working for You wall calendar, featuring important dates, scouting information and beautiful photographs of agri-Manitoba. Look for it with your next Pulse Beat magazine. We hope you’ll like it.
  • Communications remains paramount to MPSG, even over the winter months. Good communication is a two-way process. Be in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you.

Questions? We’re here to help:

Cassandra Tkachuk
Production Specialist – East
(204) 293-4424
cassandra@manitobapulse.ca
Laura Schmidt
Production Specialist – West
(204) 751-0538
laura@manitobapulse.ca