Five-year Pulse Cluster Research Program Completed with Key Outcomes for Canadian Pulse Growers
April 03, 2023
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) invested over $1.3 million into pulse research projects, through the Pulse Science Cluster from 2018 to 2023, that addressed multiple priorities.
These priorities include developing genetically improved field pea varieties, mitigation of root rots, better understanding of nematodes, and new strategies for faba bean utilization and other pulse ingredients.
Under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) AgriScience Cluster program, SPG leveraged the grower dollar investment with government and other industry partner funding for a total value of over $10 million.
Co-funding partners included Alberta Pulse Growers, Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers, Ontario Bean Growers, as well as BASF, Bayer, Engage Agro, Syngenta, and Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI).
The total value of research included under the five-year Pulse AgriScience Cluster is over $17 million, with $11.1 million coming from the CAP AgriScience Cluster program.
Investing in pulse science research and innovation is important for Canadian pulse growers to remain competitive. Coordinating research funding and programming maximizes efficiency, increases capacity, and improves the ability to adopt new innovative technologies.
SPG-Funded Projects
Explore the projects and outcomes from SPG’s investments:
Development of genetically improved field pea varieties and germplasm for the Canadian pulse industry, and evaluation of flavour, physicochemical, and functional characteristics in high protein pea breeding lines
Breeding, physiology, and agronomy to mitigate yield loss caused by root rots of pea
Vigilance towards plant nematodes to sustain pulse production on the Canadian Prairies
Strategic approaches for faba bean value addition and utilization
Energy and cost-efficient removal of anti-nutritional compounds and negative flavours in pulses using electromagnetic wave
Utilization of pulse-based ingredients to develop low glycemic pet food to improve the health of dogs
Other Projects Included in this Cluster Program
Explore additional projects and outcomes from pulse research funding by our colleagues across the Canadian pulse industry:
Early maturing dry bean variety and germplasm development for Manitoba and Western Canada
Dry bean disease screening and development of germplasm with disease resistance
Selection for disease resistance in early maturing bean lines for Alberta
Identification of dry bean lines in Ontario and the Prairies with improved canning and cooking quality
Breeding for sustainable and profitable bean production in Ontario
Optimizing disease management strategies for white mould and bacterial blights of dry bean
Integrated pest management of pea leaf weevil using biological control and low insecticide-input alternatives
A bean efficacy study: A dose-response study to investigate the cholesterol-lowering effects of beans