Market Class: Faba Bean
Year Released to Seed Growers: 2012
Seed Size: 335g/1,000 seeds
Maturity: 104 days
Breeder: Dr. Bert Vandenberg, Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK
Plant Breeders Rights: None
Description
CDC Snowdrop is a small seeded low tannin type faba bean and has the smallest seed size of the current cultivars. It has great tolerance to lodging and is easier to seed due to its seed size. It is suitable for livestock and feed markets because of its low tannin characteristics. CDC Snowdrop is adapted for all faba bean production areas.
Strengths
- Smaller seed size for lower seeding rates and reduced plugging issues (100g less in 1,000 kernel weight than Snowbird)
- Equal to Snowbird in days to maturity
- Great tolerance to lodging
Weaknesses
- Yield 91% of check CDC Fatima and 13% less than Snowbird in seven years of testing in Saskatchewan
- Susceptible to chocolate spot
Other Traits
- Smallest of the zero tannin market class at 335g per 1,000 seeds
- White flowered zero tannin suitable for feed markets
Characteristics of Varieties Adapted from Saskatchewan Seed Guide (2016)
| VARIETY | HEIGHT (CM) | LODGING | MATURITY (DAYS) | SEED WEIGHT (G/1,000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDC FATIMA | 106 | 3.8 | 105 | 520 |
| IMPOSA | 99 | 2.4 | 107 | 695 |
| SNOWBIRD | 96 | 2.6 | 104 | 495 |
| TABASCO | 96 | 2.3 | 106 | 530 |
| CDC SNOWDROP | 98 | 2.6 | 104 | 335 |
Lodging Score: (1-9) where 1 = completely upright, 9 = completely lodged
Average Yields by Province and Area As per cent of CDC Fatima (SK) and Snowbird (AB, MB)
| VARIETY | MANITOBA | SASKATCHEWAN | ALBERTA | |||
| SITE YEARS TESTED* | MANITOBA | SITE YEARS TESTED** | SASKATCHEWAN | SITE YEARS TESTED* | ALBERTA | |
| CDC FATIMA | NA | NA | 10 | 100 | NA | NA |
| IMPOSA | NA | NA | 4 | 110 | NA | NA |
| SNOWBIRD | 12 | 100 | 10 | 104 | NA | 100 |
| TABASCO | 8 | 97 | 5 | 101 | 15 | 85 |
| CDC SNOWDROP | 3 | 100 | 7 | 91 | 15 | 88 |
*Number of sites and years tested for each variety.
**Number of years tested.
NA = Not available
