Manitoba Ag Days
Once again, Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers (MPSG) jumped at the opportunity to host a morning session at Manitoba Ag Days. This year’s session, Profit from Legumes and Healthy Soil, included an impressive lineup of speakers. Yvonne Lawley, an assistant professor in the plant science department at the University of Manitoba, started the morning off exploring critical functions of our soils and the tools we have to manage soil health. Syama Chatterton, plant pathologist for pulse and special crops with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Lethbridge, discussed the threat of Aphanomyces and Fusarium root rots. To finish off the session, we welcomed Matthew Bakker, an assistant professor in the department of microbiology at the University of Manitoba; Steve Crittenden, research scientist in soil nutrient management at AAFC Brandon; and Charley Sprenger, ag research engineer at Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute, for a panel discussion about soil health and management.
Soil Fertility Workshop
The focus on soil continued with a pair of Soil Fertility Workshops MPSG hosted in collaboration with Manitoba Crop Alliance and Manitoba Canola Growers. The two-day workshops were held at the end of January in Brandon and Selkirk. The popular, farmer-focused workshops included an expert speaker lineup and proved to be extremely educational and of high value to attendees.
Dry Bean Meetings
MPSG assisted in hosting two Dry Bean Meetings at the beginning of February, one in Portage la Prairie and another in Altona. Laura Schmidt, MPSG’s western production specialist, presented research results from the On-Farm Network dry bean trials. MPSG Executive Director Daryl Domitruk provided attendees with a dry bean specific MPSG research update. These annual meetings are popular with the Manitoba dry bean community. MPSG also launched Dry Bean Bulletin, its new bi-annual newsletter, at the meetings. Sign up for the newsletter here.
CropConnect/AGSM
MPSG hosted its 2024 Annual General and Special Meeting (AGSM) at the CropConnect Conference in Winnipeg, M.B. on Feb. 14, 2024. The AGSM was well attended by industry and farmer-members. CropConnect was filled with informative sessions and captivating keynote speakers. Every year MPSG looks forward to the quality time spent meeting and talking to farmer members during these simultaneous events.