Features Agronomy Other Crops
What’s New in Pea, Lentil and Chickpea varieties?

New varieties are being introduced for the 2012 growing season, or are being released in commercial quantities for the first time this year. Information on Crop Development Centre (CDC) varieties at the University of Saskatchewan comes from Dr. Bunyamin Tar’an, Dr. Bert Vandenberg and Dr. Tom Warkentin, pulse crop plant breeders. For more information on their research, visit: www.pulse.usask.ca .

Yellow pea
CDC Centennial has high yield and a large seed size, which commands a premium in some markets. In contrast, CDC Prosper has small seed size, which reduces planting costs. It also has good resistance to Fusarium wilt, which has been detected as a problem in some localized areas.

CDC Treasure has high yield, good lodging resistance, and early maturity.

CDC Hornet has good yield with good lodging resistance and medium maturity. It is about 10 cm taller than Cutlass, which will provide an advantage in terms of competitiveness with weeds.

Breeder seed of CDC Saffron (tested as 2093-22) was released to Select growers in 2011. It has good agronomic performance and medium-large smooth round seeds.
AC Argus was developed by Dr. D. J. Beng at AAFC Lacombe. It is semi leafless and has a medium sized seed.  It yielded 111 percent of Eclipse and 105 percent of Cutlass in coop trials. Lodging resistance is better than Cutlass and maturity is one day earlier than Eclipse. Available from SeCan Association members.
 
Green pea
CDC Tetris is an ‘Espace type’ variety with blocky seed shape. This type has specific demand in China for snack food markets. CDC Pluto is a green pea variety with small, round seeds, good bleaching resistance, and intense green colour. It should fit well into rehydration and canning markets. In 2011 we released CDC Raezer to Select growers (tested as 2235-4), which has very similar seed type to CDC Striker, but with a little greater yield, probably due to its powdery mildew resistance.

Specialty pea
Maple pea variety CDC Mosaic was released in 2010. It has a similar seed type to CDC Acer, but with improved yield and lodging resistance. It has somewhat later maturity, similar to CDC Acer.

Dun pea variety CDC Dakota was released in 2010. It was one of the top yielders in the Saskatchewan regional trials in both 2010 and 2011. The dun type would typically be dehulled and sold in human consumption markets in India.

Kabuli chickpea
For 2012, there may be an increase of CDC Luna, which has larger seed size and is slightly earlier maturing than CDC Frontier. However, growers are reminded that CDC Luna has the higher end of fair rating for ascochyta blight. Growers are required to monitor their fields diligently for disease and spray decision if necessary. As with all other varieties, initial fungicide application is needed at the seedling to pre-flowering stage to limit early spore development and spread.

CDC Orion and CDC Alma were released to Select seed growers in 2010. CDC Orion is a large seeded (420-440 g/1000 seeds and 10 mm in diameter) kabuli variety. CDC Orion has a good adaptation in both the Brown and Dark Brown soil zones of southern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta. CDC Orion is on the late side of maturity, similar to CDC Frontier. It is recommended that you plant it on stubble, especially in wet years, and avoid lower lying or poorly drained fields and heavy clay soils that retain moisture. CDC Alma is a medium-large seed size (9 mm diameter) kabuli, slightly larger than CDC Frontier and it has a similar ascochyta blight rating to CDC Luna – so similar precautionary advice applies to both varieties.
The newest kabuli variety, CDC Leader (tested as 493-24), was released to Select growers in 2011. CDC Leader has so far had consistently high yield, comparable to CDC Frontier, in both the Brown and Dark Brown soil zones. On the other hand, CDC leader matured several days earlier than CDC Frontier. It has fair resistance to ascochyta blight. The average seed weight of CDC Leader is around 400 g/1,000 seeds (9-10 mm diameter).

Desi chickpea
DC Cory was the latest desi variety released to Select growers in 2010. CDC Cory has high yield potential in both the Brown and Dark Brown soil zones, and has fair resistance to ascochyta blight. It has a medium seed size (250 g/1,000 seeds) with angular-to-plump seed shape and a tan seed coat colour at harvest. It has slightly spreading growth habit. So far CDC Cory is among the top-performing chickpeas.

Large green lentil
CDC Impower (CL) is still in the ramping-up stage and it should know by the end of 2012 if it will gain market share. SCIC data shows that about one third of the area is sown to undeclared or unknown varieties.

Small green lentil
CDC Imvincible (CL) is the variety which is gaining ground, especially in areas where Group 2 herbicides are effectively controlling weeds.

Small red lentil
New varieties like CDC Dazil (CL), CDC Imax (CL) and the conventional varieties like CDC Redcoat, CDC Redcliff, CDC Redbow and CDC Rosebud are grown on a very limited scale right now because they were released after CDC Maxim (CL). Seed growers will judge performance and will decide which ones do the best in their production areas.