Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Crop Development Centre Form New Collaboration for Lentil & Faba Bean Breeding

July 22, 2026 (SASKATOON, SK) – Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) and the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Crop Development Centre (CDC) are pleased to announce a new collaboration for lentil and faba bean breeding in Saskatchewan. This newly formed collaboration builds on a 30-year history of partnership and will further increase pulse breeding capacity and a competitive environment to drive innovation for producers.

The focus of the partnership is breeding stronger performing lentil and faba bean varieties for Saskatchewan. This work is guided by farmer-driven priorities, addressing key on-farm challenges. For lentil crops, this includes improved yield; improved Aphanomyces and Fusarium root rot resistance, resistance to foliar diseases (Anthracnose, Ascochyta blight), and herbicide tolerance with a focus on groups 5 and 14. For faba beans, breeding priorities include improved yield, maturity, seed size, and shape, improved architecture and resistance to lodging, and improved disease resistance. Breeding will take place in Saskatoon and will leverage testing sites across Saskatchewan and Western Canada.

“This new collaboration with the CDC marks a renewed path forward in lentil and faba bean breeding for the benefit of Saskatchewan producers. Having farmers at the table to provide direction to the program will result in new and better varieties in the hands of producers, tackling their greatest challenges,” says Stuart Lawrence, Chair of SPG Board of Directors.

Read more