More Promise in Manitoba Pea, Dry Bean Crops

Jul 22, 2022

It is an admittedly low bar following last year’s devastating drought, but Manitoba pea and dry bean crops are much improved this time around.

“(This year), I think overall I’m pretty happy with what I’ve seen so far,” said provincial pulse specialist Dennis Lange.

But that is not to say that everything is perfect either. Peas are struggling in areas of excess moisture, Lange said, while some of the dry bean crops – after heavy springtime precipitation delayed planting - could now use rain.

“Moisture conditions, depending on where you are, either you don’t need anything or you could use an inch,” Lange said. “Getting an inch of rain in areas that have been dry over the past few weeks would be a good thing. For the most part, things are looking alright.”

Over the past 30 days, pockets southeast and west of Winnipeg have only seen 60-85% of normal precipitation, while locations north of the city have been wetter than normal.

What will determine pulse yields now, Lange said, is how much timely rain falls over the next month or so.

Manitoba dry bean and pea planted area for this year is estimated at 125,400 and 188,600 acres, respectively, down from 193,300 and 224,100 in 2021. Regardless of the fall in planted area, 2022 production is still likely to be higher than a year ago based on a rebound in yields.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.