This special edition, science-oriented Pulse Beat reveals the breadth and depth of MPSG’s research investments, including details from projects conducted in laboratories, field trials and the On-Farm Network. Inside you will find farmer-focused research results intended to improve yield and quality, pest control, build soil health and drive market demand.
The Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers (MPSG) research program has a lineup of projects that support our goal of reducing the economic consequences of crop pests. Researchers in pathology, entomology and weed science have been experimenting with practical options for fungicide application and crop rotation. The latest results from this work are featured in this edition of Pulse Beat – The Science Edition.
Of course, there’s more to farming than contending with pests. So, by extension, there’s more to research than bugs and weeds. At winter meetings, we’ve been emphasizing the short history of annual legume production in Manitoba. One result is that we know little about the turnover of soil microbes and nutrients in rotations containing annual legumes. In this regard, Dr. Ivan Oresnik at the University of Manitoba reports on his observations on the fate of soybean inoculant in the soil.
Also, a few years back, MPSG invested in research to improve the prospect of value-added processing of pulse and soybean crops. As this edition’s reports show, these farm products are indeed suitable for a variety of applications in the food industry. A report on MPSG’s foray into drought-tolerance research takes us into the world of plant physiology and the search for processes in the plant that can be channeled into buffering yields against drought. Back on the farm, reports are in on avoiding seed damage by air seeders and on safely storing soybeans.Table of Contents