Efforts are underway in Canada to promote the country’s fifth largest crop during the International Year of Pulses.
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This year has been declared the International Year of Pulses by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and for good reason — pulses are a hugely important crop the world over._x000D_
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Dry beans, dry peas, chickpeas, and lentils are high in protein, fibre, and various vitamins, provide amino acids, and are hearty crops. They are most popular in developing countries, but are increasingly becoming recognized as an excellent part of a healthy diet throughout the world, the FAO notes on its website._x000D_
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Canada is among the world’s developed countries that place pulses high on their list of nutritious — and valuable — crops. According to Pulse Canada, the Canadian pulse industry has grown tremendously over the past 20 years to become a major player in global pulse production and trade, with a strong base of Canadian processing and exporting companies._x000D_
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Over this time, Canada has emerged to become the world’s largest exporter of lentil and pea, and one of the world’s Top 5 bean exporters. On a nationwide scale, pulses are Canada’s fifth largest crop. Total pulse exports were over $3 billion last year, according to Pulse Canada statistics._x000D_
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For Kevin McCallum ,that’s music to the ears. He’s the general manager of DL Seeds in Manitoba. While DL Seeds’ main business focus is to develop new canola hybrids for North America, pulses are becoming increasingly important to the company._x000D_
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“We have a small but growing pulse breeding and evaluation program that focuses on developing new field peas, yellow and green types and faba bean varieties,” says McCallum._x000D_
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According to McCallum, faba beans are getting more attention in Western Canada. In 2015, DL Seeds received more calls for faba bean varieties than in the last eight years combined._x000D_
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DL Seeds’ pea business is currently done with American customers, but McCallum says that with Canada’s recent ratification of UPOV 91, the company is now looking to expand their pea business in Canada._x000D_
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“[We] have also increased testing and development resources around faba beans, both low and normal tannin types, for the domestic and export market,” he says._x000D_
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Agronomic Benefits_x000D_
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The success companies like DL Seeds are having with pulses in Canada is partly a result of new breeding efforts, which are creating new varieties that help boost the yield and nutritional value of pulse crops. Such research and development is being carried out in several provinces, including Saskatchewan._x000D_
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The province’s first pulse varieties were developed at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre (CDC) 40 years ago, where its pulse crop research and breeding group has become one of the most successful programs in the world, according to CDC managing director Kofi Agblor._x000D_
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The University of Saskatchewan is a major partner in both chickpea and pea genome sequencing initiatives, and is the lead for the CDC’s lentil genome sequencing initiative. “Since the 1970s, the CDC has developed dozens of varieties of pea, lentil, chickpea, dry bean and faba bean. Advanced genomics-based tools such as marker-assisted breeding will hasten development even more,” Agblor says._x000D_
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A producer levy, administered through the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG), provides strong support for crop research and a critical link to farmer priorities._x000D_
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“Disease resistance and weed control certainly are very important for the growers,” says U of S plant sciences professor Bert Vandenberg. “We also focus on seed quality — size, colour, shape — because pulses are primarily an export crop and our international customers have very specific preferences. Processing quality is also a priority.”_x000D_
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Current research is also looking at improved nitrogen-fixing capabilities to enhance soil fertility, nutritional value of the end crop and enhanced yield. Here, genetic diversity is crucial._x000D_
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McCallum is quick to point out the importance of such work to the pulse industry. “It is incredibly important that western Canadian producers have sustainable crop rotation options. Pulse crops fit nicely into this model, which benefits all crop types across the entire agriculture industry in Canada,” he says._x000D_
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Nutritional Benefits_x000D_
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At the same time that producers are realizing the agronomic benefits of growing pulse crops, consumers are reaping the rewards of the health benefits they bring._x000D_
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“We see all kinds of new and interesting developments,” says Harro Wehrmann, president of Ontario’s Wehrmann Farms. He’s noticing some new trends with regard to pulses, which include lentils as a meat substitute and the growing popularity of edible beans, chickpeas, soybeans for tofu and peas for sprouting. Wehrmann Farms is an organic operation._x000D_
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“[We are] looking for more organic producers of all kinds of pulses. It is a very important part in our rotation, more important than grains,” he says._x000D_
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Henry Thompson is director of the Cancer Prevention Laboratory at Colorado State University. He’s collaborated on research that supports the clinical evidence between higher bean consumption and a reduction in cancer risk. He’s also involved in helping promote the International Year of Pulses._x000D_
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“We want to increase awareness of the importance of beans and other pulse crops to human health,” he says._x000D_
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The International Year of Pulses is a global event. Pulse Canada and its international counterpart, the Global Pulse Confederation, are working with partners including international governments, the UN and scientists to host over a 100 events around the globe in 2016._x000D_
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Canada’s pulse industry is also planning over 20 events and activities across the country that will educate Canadians about the health, nutrition and environmental benefits of eating pulses. For more info visit http://iyp2016.org._x000D_
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