Producers are being reminded of the importance of using rotations for pulses.Pea breeder Dr. Tom Warkentin, with the University of Saskatchewan, says with more crops in the mix, farmers can slow down the development of diseases and weeds, and reduce the need for pesticide applications.He adds producers should also look beyond a four-year rotation, and perhaps stretching it to six or eight years.

“In scenario's where the grower may have aphanomyces , one of the root rot diseases, if you have that disease in certain fields, we're advising a longer rotation because both pea and lentil are susceptible to aphanomyces and that disease can hang around in the soil for quite some time.

Dr. Warkentin adds it’s better to stretch out a longer period of time between growing peas and lentils, but you can also put in chickpeas, fava beans or soybeans into that pulse slot in the rotation.