Manitoba Pulse Growers Association

Free Information Session

adminMBP — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:36:12 +0000

Join us for a free information session to meet Ms. Nicole Rogers, former Trade Commissioner for Agriculture at the Canadian Consulate in Dubai, and current owner of Agriprocity (Dubai). She will be in Manitoba for two days to meet with producers and small/medium grain handlers that may be interested in working in a consortium with her established Dubai based partners who wish to contract wheat, canola and lentils (this product mix may increase depending on success). Come find out more about this exciting opportunity to develop direct importing linkages and long-term partnerships at either of the following locations:

Days Inn and Suites – Winkler
395 Boundary Trail
Time: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
June 26, 2013

Canad Inn Portage la Prairie
2401 Saskatchewan Ave West
Time: 9:00 am – 10:30 am
June 27, 2013

For further information, please contact Brad Havixbeck, Senior Manager – Agribusiness, Manitoba Trade and Investment at 204-945-2397 or brad.havixbeck@gov.mb.ca

The Bean Report

adminMBP — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:10:35 +0000

The Bean Report is a new publication by MPGA’s Production Specialist Kristen Podolsky. Our membership survey indicated that our grower members were looking for more communication and production information from us. Kristen is developing a field scouting network across the bean growing areas of Manitoba to bring our grower members and industry up to date, independent crop production information focusing on soybeans and edible beans. The Bean Report will be published every two weeks and will also be featured on the radio starting Tuesday, June 18^th. The show will air @ 1:05 p.m. on CFAM 950 Altona, AM 1250 Steinbach, CJRB 1220 Boissevain and @ 1:45 p.m. on CFRY 920 Portage.
The Bean Report is located under the For Producers tab.

New Partnerships = New Event

adminMBP — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:37:09 +0000

A partnership of five commodity groups has been formed to host the first ever CropConnect Conference in 2014.
More information will be shared in the coming months including a website for the event and speaker announcements.

The full news release can be read here: New Partnerships = New Event

Membership Survey: The Results are in!

adminMBP — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 17:41:17 +0000

Thanks to all those who participated in the 2012/13 survey!
The results have provided the MPGA board with a baseline that can be used to measure the effectiveness of the organization and identify area of strengths and weaknesses. It also outlines what members feel we’re currently doing well and what areas could use improvements. Understanding what members view as valuable will go a long way to help prioritize our efforts going forward.

The full report can be downloaded here: Survey, Final Report

2013 Pulse Tour – Wednesday, August 7th

adminMBP — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:55:22 +0000

WHERE: AAFC Research Station – Morden
Located on Route 100, south off Highway 3 on the east side of Morden.

REGISTRATION: FREE and begins at 8:45 a.m.

TOUR: 9:00 a. m. to 12:45 p.m. - lunch will be provided

Everyone is welcome to attend!

Summer (June) 2013

adminMBP — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:15:04 +0000

In this issue: MASC announces new insurance test areas; Final results of membership survey are in; Pulse Variety Testing; Field of vision: Soybean Diseases 101. Summer (June) 2013

Apps You Can Use This Growing Season

adminMBP — Thu, 30 May 2013 20:28:04 +0000

Five smartphone apps designed to make your job easier and more profitable

The world of smartphone applications (apps) can be overwhelming—the Apple App Store has hit 50 billion downloads, and there are currently more apps available for download than there are minutes in the year!
The following link has a list of five apps that are worth checking out this growing season. Smartphone Apps

Soybean School West: The Yield Impact of Volunteer Canola

adminMBP — Wed, 29 May 2013 21:14:53 +0000

Towering yellow-flowered plants in a soybean field don’t just look a bit out of place, these volunteer canola plants are actually competing with the crop and using valuable soil nutrients. Just how much of an impact this has on final soybean yield is important to know, as, just like with any pest, it’s important to balance the cost of control against the cost of the damage.

To answer just how much of a bite volunteer canola takes out of soybean yield, Dr. Rob Gulden, with the University of Manitoba, is working at developing economic thresholds for the pest, just as you’d find for insects in the guide to crop protection. Once you’ve got that number in hand, Gulden says, the next part of the project comes in to play.

In this Soybean School West episode, Dr. Gulden discusses how competitive canola is in soybean, and why the issue of controlling volunteers must include a multi-year strategy as canola seeds spreads easily and hangs around a surprisingly long time.

Manitoba Pulse Growers Association Inc. Hires Kristen Podolsky as Production Specialist

adminMBP — Mon, 27 May 2013 15:34:53 +0000

Kristen Podolsky will be scouting soybean and pulse fields, providing MPGA members with in-season agronomic support and production information, and responding to grower inquiries. This new position is a means for MPGA to increase communication with its members and provide them with crop production information, and is particularly timely with the expansion of soybean acres into western Manitoba.

Carman, Manitoba – May 27, 2013 – MPGA is pleased to announce the hiring of Kristen Podolsky as Production Specialist for the 2013 growing season. MPGA represents nearly 3,000 producers in Manitoba who grow soybeans, edible beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas and faba beans, and provides producers with production knowledge and market development support, through focused research, advocacy and linkages with industry partners. MPGA is funded by a 0.5% check off levy and is governed by a board of directors, including elected active producers and appointed industry representatives.

MPGA recently conducted a member survey and obtained valuable feedback; including farm, acre and crop rotation information, production-related issues, member awareness of MPGA core priorities and activities, areas where increased focus is needed or where there is room for improvement, and much more. “The idea of hiring a Production Specialist had been discussed for over a year,” states MPGA Chair Kyle Friesen. “The decision was finally made easy when we found out our members want increased and better communication from us, crop production knowledge, and for us to be vigilant in early detection of emerging diseases and insect problems. Kristen will be able to enhance our communication efforts and provide our members with in-season field support.” The timing of this hire coincides with increasing soybean acres and offers MPGA the ability to provide support to both experienced and new soybean growers.

Kristen is a graduate student at the University of Manitoba wrapping up her MSc thesis in Agronomy. Specifically, her project investigated reduced tillage implements for managing a green manure cover crop. Prior to pursuing her MSc, Kristen completed a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a major in Agronomy and minor in Soil Science (2008) and a general Agriculture Diploma (2006), all at the University of Manitoba. During this time, Kristen held summer positions with Viterra, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the National Sunflower Association of Canada. As part of her Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) scholarship for her MSc, Kristen also spent time working with Pulse Canada on their sustainability portfolio.

Kristen also comes from a farming background in beef and grain production. Her practical experience in farming combined with her technical knowledge of field crop agronomy and cropping systems make her a great fit as Production Specialist for MPGA. MPGA has hired Kristen on a 6-month contract, and if this new position proves to be valuable, consideration will be given to extending her term or turning it into a full-time position with the association.

About MPGA

MPGA was founded in 1984 and represents nearly 3,000 producers in Manitoba who grow soybeans, edible beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas and faba beans. MPGA’s mission is to provide pulse grower members with production knowledge and market development support, through focused research, advocacy and linkages with industry partners. Recently, Manitoba has seen tremendous expansion of soybean acres and MPGA wants to lead soybean research in western Canada.

Contact Information:
Manitoba Pulse Growers Association Inc.
Box 1760 Carman, Manitoba R0G 0J0
(204) 745-6488
www.manitobapulse.ca
roxanne@manitobapulse.ca

Soybean School West: Why Rolling Matters & Timing it Right

adminMBP — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:06:04 +0000

Rolling soybean fields at or just after planting can be most efficient, but planting conditions aren’t always exactly rolling-friendly. The good news is there is still time to roll long after seeding, with one very specific no-go window.

But first, do you have to roll? That’s the question RealAgriculture.com put to Dennis Lange, farm production advisor with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, based at Altona, Man. The answer is, it depends. It depends on your field, and, most importantly, whether or not rocks are an issue. Rolling does set up the field for a smooth harvest, Lange says, but there are times when rolling may cause more damage than benefit.

In this Soybean School West episode, Lange covers what those field conditions are, and explains the various growth stages where it is perfectly safe to roll, plus the one stage — the hook stage — when it most certainly is not.