Blog Archives

The Best Durum Varieties for 2026

4/11/2025

Should you only grow one durum variety? I'd suggest no, each season brings its own challenges and sometimes rain!
Some varieties seem to have more risk to bacterial streaming/blight. Some have more lodging risk, and others are longer season and some seem to respond better to PGR's
We have one customer blending AAC Stronghold and AAC Grainland on dryland to take advantage of the wet years vs dry as each one has a fit (see below)

AAC Brigham VB

Replaces AAC Succeed VB in our lineup
Medium season
107% of check
Good disease package
Stands well

AAC Schrader

I rating for FHB
Beat AAC Stronghold on a couple irrigation customers fields in 2025 and our 2024 seed crop
- we used 2 PGR passes in our 2024 crop
Medium maturity

AAC Stronghold

Solid stem for sawfly
Stands VG for a durum
Medium to long season
Yields better under higher moisture (over 40 bu range)
Can risk bacterial blight

AAC Grainland

Solid stem for sawfly
Yield stability when it's dry (under 40 bu range)
Rated Fair for lodging
Resistance to sprouting
Dark awns

AAC Frontier Fall 2026 launch:

R rating for ergot
I rating for FHB (Comparable to AAC Schrader)
R rating for leaf, stripe and stem rust
Hollow stem (sorry sawfly area customers)
Yielded well in our 2025 demo plots
https://grainswest.com/2025/01/new-durum-better-than-ever/

Demo Plot 2025:
AAC Brigham VB led the durum yield demo in 2025
For standability Stronghold was the best, followed by Succeed VB/Brigham VB, then Frontier, then Schrader.
We often hear people relating stem solidness to standability but it is not the case. Solid stem does not automatically mean it stands better.
Maturity was all very similar.

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Lentil Varieties & Management

4/11/2025

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Normally we grow lentils on dryland but for the past 2 season we had our red lentils on irrigation. Our CDC Proclaim field might have had excess water late June early July but it ended up averaging 64 bu per ac. (seed is clean and ready to ship)
We used 65 lbs per ac of 11-52 in seed row and targeted 14 plants per sq foot.

Should you grow Lentils in 2025?

Small green lentils were overgrown in 2024. I'd advise not to grow SGL in 2025
Reds, the yield has been good, movement is fairly good as many countries buy reds and at current prices it may open up more buyers globally.
- This may be a good alternate to yellow peas.
Large Greens: quality was hit or miss this season in SK as some rain did impact some areas. This may make the volume of good quality LGL lower and help the price on good quality LGL this season and into next.
- from a yield perspective, when too wet the large greens do drop off in yield where red lentils seem yield more, tolerate a wider range on conditions, mature faster and have a larger market.

Here is some information from APG on lentil market classes and production. & SPG also has some great lentil production info as well.
FMC has a nice lentil growing guide as well: https://ag.fmc.com/ca/sites/default/files/2024-02/7776%20Lentil%20Manual_Print_2024_Jan19.pdf

Herbicides

We have used Edge ahead of lentils in the past, and this year used Focus ahead of them with a pre-burn.
In crop we used Solo ADV and then because it was was irrigation we did 3 passes of fungicide in crop timed similar to our watering in crop. Delaro Complete was our main fungicide.
- a group one may have been enough for grassy control - so depends on weed spectrum.
For seed treatments pea leaf weevils are not a big issue so usually only a fungicide seed treatment is needed unless seeding early for stress mitigation or wireworms are a concern where an insecticide treatment is needed.
- We did a fungicide and insecticide to reduce our risk of wireworm and the cost per ac is low vs other pulse crops since we only seed around 1 bu per ac.
Peat Inoculant on Seed for up to 30 Days
- Agtiv Fuel has been used by us for a number of years now. We use the peat based and meter it on as we treat seed. Use rates are 60 ac per pail on lentils = $6 per ac

Use Rates

Many people seed at 14 plants per sq foot on lentils but on light dry land some seed at 12 plants to reduce costs and in other situations some target 16 plants per sq foot.

Lentil Problems

Aphids can be an issue and may require control in lentils SPG has a good aphid guide
On dry years on dryland I have seen leaf disease in crop making spraying a fungicide or not a tough decision because the yield potential was not high.
Wheat is hard to remove from lentils as its a similar size when processing so controlling volunteer cereals is easy but important in crop (group 1 herbicides get it)
Markets are larger for red lentils so they are easier to sell vs green lentils and maintain quality easier.
Green lentils are more indeterminate so too much rain can keep growing and or re-grow, become too vegetative vs a red lentil.

Lentil Seed
We have Clearfield red and green lentils available and the acres seem to keep growing! Some of our customers don't use the group 2 herbicide due to carry over risks, so it's up to you if you use the traits possible on these varieties.
Reds are earlier and shorter vs. green lentils.

CDC Lima CL - Large Green

These need a higher seeding rate as they are larger vs. the others we sell so often needing 1.5 -1.75 bu per ac vs. around 1 bu per ac on reds and small greens (60 lbs per bu)
Reviews have been great on these vs. other older large greens for yield as well as quality.

CDC Proclaim CL - Small Red - top small red variety, it is not sold by many seed retailers bit every time a customer or us tried it beside other newer varieties, CDC Proclaim CL usually wins!

CDC Jimini CL - Small Green Lentil

Market is smaller and not often grown in AB

Yields
According to AFSC reported yields CDC Lima large green can yield like CDC Maxim.
If you are growing a red lentil, CDC Proclaim has been a solid variety in dry and wet years, that it's a wonder anyone grows CDC Maxim or others still, see AFSC reported yields for 2024 season and back.

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Tariff on Peas to India, Fertilizer Quotes, 2026 Acreage Estimates Podcast

4/11/2025

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Ryan Denis from the WTF Podcast has a great brand new episode from his podcast talking about fertilizer, and to Chuck Penner on markets and tariffs. Listen here
Ryan is our December 4th Seed Update speaker so listen in & plan to attend to hear his candid opinions on farming decisions!

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Acres for Cardiac Care

4/11/2025

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We have been asked to be the first farm to donate acres to the
"Growing Something Bigger Than a Harvest" campaign.

The goal is to bring cardiac care to Lethbridge, and we have pledged 5 acres! For more info: https://crhfoundation.ca/content.php?n=495