Pulse weekly outlook: Peas, beans hold up in dry Manitoba

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Published: May 18, 2021

File photo of a pea crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

MarketsFarm — Of the pulses being planted in Manitoba this spring, field peas and dry beans appear the best able to handle the difficult drought conditions the province continues to experience throughout its growing areas.

Field peas “have a relatively low water requirement, similar to dry beans,” Cassandra Tkachuk, production specialist with Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers, said noting both crops tend to be grown in Manitoba’s drier areas on the western half.

A lack of sufficient precipitation for the last several months put the province into a severe drought, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor. Strong winds on Tuesday were blowing topsoil, but rain is in the forecast from Wednesday onward for a few days.

Read Also

File photo of a potato field in Alberta’s Lacombe County. (COrthner/iStock/Getty Images)

Alberta Crop Report: Higher-than-average yields expected

Cooler temperatures and rainfall in Alberta supported projected higher-than-normal crop yields, according to the province’s crop report released on Aug. 1, 2025.

“You can feel [the dirt] in the air. It lands on everything, including your face,” Tkachuk said.

Among pulses, lentils and chickpeas also prefer drier conditions, she added. Some lentils are being seeded in Manitoba this spring, but very few chickpea acres at best.

Some acres are devoted to fababeans, but such a crop is rather dependent on lots of moisture, she said.

The latest weekly crop report from Manitoba Agriculture found seeding of peas is nearly complete, while dry beans remained under halfway.

Soybean planting ranged from just getting started in the province’s northwest to as much as 85 per cent complete in the eastern region.

— Glen Hallick reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.

About the author

Glen Hallick

Glen Hallick

Reporter

Glen Hallick grew up in rural Manitoba near Starbuck, where his family farmed. Glen has a degree in political studies from the University of Manitoba and studied creative communications at Red River College. Before joining Glacier FarmMedia, Glen was an award-winning reporter and editor with several community newspapers and group editor for the Interlake Publishing Group. Glen is an avid history buff and enjoys following politics.

explore

Stories from our other publications