Harvest Episode - Desiccation and an Update on Pulse Crop Markets

Today in episode ten, we explore harvest aids with Dr. Drew Lyon from Washington State University. We also get an update on current pulse markets from Kevin Buxa of Halo Commodity Company based in Fargo, ND. 

If you’re new to pulse crops, they include crops such as field peas, chickpeas and lentils. This show follows some pulse crop farmers through the growing season and dives into the research that’s helping them through some of the challenges they face. We’ll also talk to a number of other industry stakeholders along the way. 

We begin today’s episode with an update on the fundamentals driving pulse markets. Kevin Buxa of Halo Commodity Company joins us. Based in Fargo, Kevin purchases commodities on-farm in North Dakota and Montana, and sells to various processors and handlers throughout the region. He also runs a stand-alone third party trucking company which enables him to expand his trading to a larger geography and more markets. For pulses, his primary focus is on peas and lentils.

Then we turn our attention now to our featured topic: harvest. Pulses are fairly indeterminate, which means they will continue to flower until they reach some sort of stress, such as lack of moisture, high temperatures, or nutrient deficiency. However, harvest timing is critical to optimize yield and quality, so growers often dessicate their crops in preparation of harvest. 

Here to talk about this process and the types of available harvest aids is Dr. Drew Lyon. Drew is a Professor and the Endowed Chair of Small Grains Extension and Research for Weed Science at Washington State University in Pullman. Prior to moving to Washington in 2012, he spent 22 years as a Dryland Cropping Systems Specialist at the University of Nebraska at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff. His endowment is from the WA Grain Commission, so he spends a lot of his time with wheat growers, but most of them also include pulses in their rotations.

We have a lot more great information coming your way throughout the 2020 growing season. Please subscribe and tell a friend who is also interested in pulses. You can also find all of the episodes at www.GrowingPulseCrops.com. 

This show is brought to you by the Pulse Crops Working Group with support from the North Central IPM Center. We’re releasing two of these every month throughout the growing season, so we look forward to bringing you your next episode very soon.