It is unknown if winter pea (Pisum sativum L.) and winter lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) are feasible cropping options in Alberta. Field experiments were conducted at six locations in southern and central Alberta, Canada, between 2008 and 2012, to determine the adaptability of winter pea and lentil. Two winter pea cultivars, Specter and Windham, and one winter lentil cultivar, Morton, were seeded at three fall planting dates and three seeding rates. Spring cultivars were grown for comparison. In southern Alberta, winter pea and lentil yielded up to 39% more than spring types. The highest winter pea yield was achieved when planting was completed during the first 3 wk of September. The highest winter lentil yield was achieved when planting was completed in the second and third weeks of September. Seeding rate had little or no impact on yield; therefore, winter pea should be seeded at 75 plants m−2 and winter lentil at 110 plants m−2. Seed was analyzed to compare constituent parameters. There were minor differences in the composition of winter and spring pulses. Windham had lower starch but higher resistant starch, protein, crude fat, and ash content compared with spring pea cultivars. Specter had higher resistant starch but was similar to Cutlass for all other parameters. Morton had a higher starch content than CDC Redberry; however, starch quality was similar. Winter pulses have potential to create new and profitable opportunities for growers in the Bow Island and Lethbridge areas of southern Alberta.

Voandzeia subterranea and Cajanus cajan are important pulse crops in tropical and subtropical Africa and their drought hardiness and ability to utilize poor soils are inter alia reasons for this popularity. Both species hold considerable promise as crops in South Africa. The results of a pot trial and a field trial in which the responses of these two species to lime, phosphorus and potassium applications were compared with those of Vigna unguiculata, V. radiata and Arachis hypogaea are re ported. The generally held belief that C. cajan is able to produce well with a minimum of fertilizer was confirmed in this investigation, particularly in the field trial where no yield responses to applications of lime, phosphorus and potassium could be measured on a rather poor soil. V. subterranea, on the other hand, responded better, particularly to lime application. Contrary to what is generally claimed in the literature, there was no indication that V. subterranea is able to produce better than the common ground nut (A. hypogaea) at low levels of soil fertility. In fact, it has to be concluded from the results that this species is not as tolerant to acid soils as the common groundnut.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract