Producers Should Check Field Pea Staging

As crop growth continues, it's important for producers to be checking the staging of field pea crops. Manitoba Agriculture's industry development specialist for pulses, Dennis Lange says plant height doesn't indicate staging — growers need to count how many above-ground nodes are on the plants. Lange says right now most pea crops are in the seven- to eight-node stage, which means if producers haven't sprayed for weed control yet, they've missed the window for products like Odyssey, Viper, or Pursuit.

 

"With peas, every week you delay your weed control is some potential yield loss," Lang says.

 

He also says it's a good idea for producers to be checking their plant stands to see if there were any issues with seed quality.

 

"Seven to eight plants per square foot established is a good number to be at," he says. "If you're a little bit higher, like nine to 10, you're still okay yet. Once you start getting above 10, then there's some potential for disease issues later on with too many plants."

 

Video: How Can We Grow More Food With Less Impact?

For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality.

In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist with the CLEAR Center sits down with Associate Director for Communications at the CLEAR Center, Joe Proudman.