Features Agronomy Pulses
New pulse varieties for 2016

Here’s a look at new pulse varieties available as Certified seed in 2016 and beyond. This information comes from pulse crop plant breeders, seed companies and Saskatchewan Pulse Growers.

PEA
FP Genetics has a new yellow pea for commercial growers to seed in 2016. Also, at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre (CDC), plant breeder Tom Warkentin and his team are bringing several new varieties to market in 2016-2017 and beyond.

Yellow:  New Abarth yellow pea from FP Genetics provides growers with competitive yield, good disease resistance and larger seed size. Abarth has medium maturity with very good resistance to powdery mildew, and fair resistance to mycosphaerella blight and Fusarium wilt. It has good lodging resistance with best in class standability for ease of harvesting.

Breeder seed of CDC Inca has strong yield potential in southern Saskatchewan and was first released to seed growers in 2015. It has good lodging resistance, medium seed size, round seed shape, medium protein content and good cooking quality. Certified seed of CDC Inca should first become available in 2018.

Green:  Breeder seed of CDC Greenwater was first released to seed growers in 2014. It has strong yield potential and good lodging resistance. CDC Greenwater has medium seed size and round seed shape. Certified seed of CDC Greenwater should first become available in 2017.

Maple:  CDC Blazer (3012-1LT) is a new maple pea variety with a lighter seed coat colour. It has higher yield than the other maple peas, similar to CDC Meadow, and seed size similar to CDC Rocket. Certified seed of CDC 3012-1LT will become available in 2018.

LENTIL
The CDC is the only lentil breeding institution in Canada, and is led by Bert Vandenberg.

Extra small red:  CDC Roxy (3959-6) is a new variety that was released to seed growers in 2014. It has plump seed and is consistently higher yielding than CDC Maxim (103 per cent). It is not imidazolinone tolerant. Seed supply for this variety will be limited but it is one to watch for and should be commercially available by 2018.

Small red:  CDC Cherie is a newer variety released in 2012 and is not imidazolinone tolerant, but it is high yielding (109 per cent of CDC Maxim). Commercial seed of CDC Cherie may be available for 2016 in limited supply.

CDC Impulse (IBC 479) is higher yielding, especially in the south (108 per cent of CDC Maxim), with slightly larger seed than CDC Maxim, as well as a bit taller and a bit later. It is imidazolinone tolerant.  

CDC Proclaim (IBC 550) is another higher yielding small red that is imidazolinone tolerant.

CDC Redmoon (3646-4) is a new variety similar to CDC Maxim with thicker seed and higher yields and is not imidazolinone tolerant.  

CDC Impulse and CDC Proclaim were released to seed growers in 2014 and CDC Redmoon in 2015 so Certified seed won’t be available for a few years.

Large green:  CDC Greenstar is a newer large green lentil that has high yield potential but is not imidazolinone tolerant. Seed supply may be limited for CDC Greenstar for 2016.

Small green:  CDC Kermit (3592-13) released in 2014 has seed similar to CDC Viceroy, better lodging, and yield is much higher than CDC Viceroy and CDC Maxim so far. Not imidazolinone tolerant. Limited seed may be available in 2017.

CHICKPEA
Plant breeder Bunyamin Tar’an at the CDC says the major objectives of the chickpea breeding program are high yield potential with acceptable seed quality characteristics, reduced production risk through improved resistance to ascochyta blight and early maturity, and plant characteristics for better crop management.

Kabuli:  CDC Palmer is a new variety released in 2014 and Certified seed may be available in limited amounts by 2016. CDC Palmer is a high yielding kabuli chickpea cultivar with medium large (9-10 mm) seed size. The seed of CDC Palmer is a light cream-beige colour with typical ram-head kabuli seed shape. It is earlier maturing than CDC Orion and moderately resistant to ascochyta blight. CDC Palmer is well adapted to all current chickpea growing regions of Brown and Dark Brown soil zones of southern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta.

Desi:  CDC Consul is a relatively new high yielding desi chickpea, and is an alternative to the production of small kabuli chickpea types. It has good resistance to ascochyta blight. CDC Consul is suited to all current chickpea growing regions of Brown (Area 1) and Dark Brown (Area 2) soil zones of southern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta.

DRY BEAN
Public dry bean plant breeding programs are at the CDC, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Lethbridge and Morden Research Centres, and the University of Guelph. Parthiba Balasubramanian at AAFC Lethbridge focuses on developing cultivars of various dry bean market classes for irrigated production under both wide row (60 cm or higher) and narrow row (30 cm or less) spacing.

At CDC, Kirstin Bett is breeding dry bean for short season environments. The main breeding objectives include early maturity, improved pod clearance and high yield combined with market acceptability within market classes.

In addition to the publicly developed varieties at CDC and AAFC, private plant breeding companies, including GenTec Seeds, Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Globe Seeds and Rogers Brothers have also developed dry bean varieties suitable for Saskatchewan.

AAC Tundra, developed at AAFC Lethbridge, is a high-yielding, early-maturing great northern bean with an upright, indeterminate bush growth habit with long vines (Type IIb). It entered the commercial market in 2015. AAC Tundra has a large seed size and improved field resistance to white mould compared with the check cultivar AC Polaris. AAC Tundra is suitable for irrigated wide row production in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

AAC Burdett, developed at AAFC Lethbridge, is an early-maturing pinto bean cultivar with an upright, indeterminate bush growth habit, lodging resistance, white mould avoidance and high yield potential. AAC Burdett, registered in 2014, is suitable for irrigated production in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

AAC Whitehorse, developed at AAFC Lethbridge, is a high-yielding, early-maturing great northern bean cultivar with an upright, indeterminate bush growth habit, large seed size and partial field resistance to white mould. AAC Whitehorse, registered in 2014, is suitable for irrigated wide row production in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

AAC Black Diamond 2, developed at AAFC Lethbridge, is a high-yielding black bean cultivar with an upright, indeterminate bush growth habit, lodging resistance, shiny black seed coat and improved resistance to seed-borne common bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli. AAC Black Diamond 2, registered in 2014, is suitable for irrigated production in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

February 17, 2016  By Bruce Barker

New Abarth yellow pea from FP Genetics provides growers with competitive yield. Here’s a look at new pulse varieties available as Certified seed in 2016 and beyond.