Most of Canada's Pulses Sown in May
VANCOUVER - Apr 18/14 - SNS -- In recent years, Saskatchewan farmers have made little progress planting pulses and special crops during April, though there have been years in the past when a large part of the crop could be sown.
Seeding and harvest progress in Saskatchewan is of critical importance to markets because it is the world's largest export producer of field peas, lentils, canary and mustard seed.
The bulk of the crop is sown in May, with roughly half the pulse crop normally in the ground by the middle of the month, along with a third of the canary and mustard seed. By the end of the month, roughly three-quarters of the pulse crop is in the ground, with the balance planted in June.
There is a positive correlation between seeding early and long term average yields. Even so, overall yields are still largely determined by the timeliness of rains during the growing season and average temperatures during flowering. Excessive heat can cause flowers to abort, reducing yields.
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