Canadian Pulse Research Workshop - Kidney Beans

PROGRAM

The 13th Canadian Pulse Research Workshop (CPRW) program will feature a dynamic lineup of presentations, poster sessions, and networking opportunities focused on key areas of pulse research. Sessions will cover topics such as breeding and genomics, sustainable cropping systems, pest management and agronomy, processing innovations, health benefits, and emerging technologies. The program is designed to foster collaboration, share the latest scientific advancements, and support innovation across the pulse sector. 

Note: To view additional details for each session or time in the program, please click the orange downward-pointing arrow to expand the section.

Sunday
November 15

Top of the Inn | Top Foyer
Sheraton Cavalier

Registration and check-in open — collect your materials and get ready for the workshop.

  • Please visit the registration desk upon arrival to check in and collect your workshop materials for the 13th Canadian Pulse Research Workshop.

Monday
November 16

Centre East
Sheraton Cavalier Saskatoon

Day 1 highlights root rot, research strategy alignment, and concurrent sessions on breeding, genomics, and processing applications.

  • K-1: When Roots Go Rogue: Root rot resistance in lentil
    8:30 am - 9:00 am

    Sabine Banniza, Professor, Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan

    Lentil production is threatened by a complex of root rot pathogens, most notably Aphanomyces euteiches, Fusarium avenaceum, and several species in the Fusarium solani species complex. Given the limited effectiveness of field based control strategies, genetic resistance is expected to play a critical role in sustaining lentil production in infested regions. Encouragingly, sources of resistance to A. euteiches, F. avenaceum, and at least one member of the F. solani species complex have been identified, and research into the genetic basis of this resistance is now emerging.

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    K-2: An Underground Expedition: Uncovering interactions between soilborne pathogens that confound pea and lentil root rot management
    9:00 am - 9:30 am

    Syama Chatterton, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Research Scientist, Pulse Crop Pathology

    Pea and lentil root rot has been impacting production on the prairies since 2011. Research began with identifying the many pathogens comprising the root rot complex and defining their pathogenicity and host range. Subsequent explorations on the nature of interactions between pathogen groups reveals why managing pea and lentil root rot is so complex; what may work for one pathogen doesn’t work for another. Development of a soil DNA-based risk prediction system is also complicated by the need to accurately quantify multiple pathogens and pathogen variants. Current research is digging deeper to uncover the mechanisms by which pathogens interact at the host interface and to identify host defense responses to multiple pathogens resulting in broad-spectrum resistance. 

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    K-3: Where are the trees? Defining molecular interactions in the root rot forest
    9:30 am - 10:00 am

    Nicholas Larkan, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Research Scientist, Pulse Crop Genomics

    Root rot disease in pulses is a complex problem involving multiple crop hosts and soil pathogens, and many environmental interactions. As work continues to identify and incorporate genetic resistance into breeding programs, it is important to understand the structure of the pathogen population, and the potential for distinct pathotypes which interact differently with each crop. We will present efforts to isolate and quantify genetic variables underlying host-pathogen compatibility, and how this applies to the field.

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    Learn more about our speakers here.

    • O-1: From Oospore Activation to Pisatin-Linked Defense: Decoding the Metabolic Dialogue Between Pea and Aphanomyces euteiches, Sangeeta Dhaubhadel

    • O-2: Nutrient Management for Root Rot Control in Field Peas, Piumi Gallage

  • Session overview to come.

    Panelists:

    • Penny McCall, BSA, MSc, PAg, Assistant Deputy Minister, Sector Growth, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture

    • Angela Bedard-Haughn, Dean, University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture & Bioresources

    • Mehmet Tulbek, President, Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre

    • Sherrilyn Phelps M.Sc., P.Ag., C.C.A., Director of Research & Development, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers

    • O-3: Root Rot Investments in Research, Sherrilyn Phelps

    • O-4: Improving Aphanamyces and Fusarium Resistance in Pea, Tom Warkentin

    • O-5: Building Root Rot Resistance in Dry Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), Jamie Larsen

    • O-6: Mapping of Quantitative Trait loci Associated with Aphanomyces euteiches Root Rot Resistance in an Intraspecific Lens orientalis Population, Kelsey Boucher*

    • O-7: Leveraging pan pathogenome to Manage the Threat of Pea Root Disease complex, Wentao Zhang

    • O-8: Characterization of a Lentil Diversity Panel for Root Rot and Root System Architecture, Taylor de Jong*

    • O-9: Novel Non-Food Applications of Pulse Starches, Chengyong Zhu*

    • O-10: Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Plant-Based and Animal-Based Protein Sources, Jannatul Ferdous*

    • O-11: Comparative Effects of Nixtamalization Methods on the Nutritional, Functional, and Structural Properties of Pulses, Rosa Maria Mariscal-Moreno

    • O-12: Acid Hydrolysis of Pea and Faba Bean Starches: Structural Characteristics and Functional Properties, Shengsong Ji*

    • O-13: Development of High-Protein Vegan Soft Cheese Analogs from Pulse-Derived Protein Curds, Yue He

    • O-14: Cold Plasma Jet-Induced Modifications in Pea Protein Concentrate: A Comparative Study of Gas-Specific Effects, Mehdi Heydari

    • O-15: Examining the Diversity of Root Systems in Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and Wild Congeners (Lens spp.): Using Image-Based Phenotyping to Screen for Drought-Adaptive Traits, Samual Rycroft

    • O-16: Lentil Breeding for Western Canadian Agriculture: Historical Success and a Bright Future, Ana Vargas

    • O-17: Breeding Chickpea for Sustaining Production in Canada Under Climate Change, Bunyamin Tar’an

    • O-18: A Customizable Genotyping by Targeted Sequencing (GBTS) Platform for Pea, Wendy Lyzenga

    • O-19: Unraveling Genes Controlling Phosphorus Utilization Efficiency and Root Traits in an Interspecific Chickpea Population, Tamanna Jahan

    • O-20: Progress on the Identification of Drought Resistance Traits in Lentil Root Architecture, Em Thackwray

    • O-21: Comparative Evaluation of FTIR Spectroscopy and SWIR Hyperspectral Imaging for Protein Prediction and Origin Authentication in Pea Flour, Chitra Sivakumar

    • O-22: A Fast Quality Assessment Strategy for Pulse Protein Concentrates using GlutoPeak Instrumental Analysis, Fernando Viacava

    • O-23: Lentil Genotype Impacts Red Color Intensity in Processed Food Products, Laura Jardine

    • O-24: Dry Fractionation of Pulses and Cereals by Electrostatic Separation: Enhancing Ingredient Functionality through Sustainable Processing and Protein Blending, Justin Joseph*

    • O-25: Functional Analysis of Pectin Acetylesterase 8 (PAE8) in Common Bean, Pea and Chickpea, Frederic Marsolais

    • O-26: Rapid Quantification of Cysteine Residues in Yellow Peas (Pisum sativum) Using Monolithic Microfluidic Integration and Silver Nanoparticle-Printed Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, Sristi Mundhada

Tuesday
November 17

Centre East
Sheraton Cavalier Saskatoon

Evening Banquet will be held in the
Riverview Room at the Remai Modern

Day 2 explores plenary and concurrent sessions on pulse health benefits, pest management, and sustainable diversified cropping systems.

  • K-4: Plant Proteins and LDC
    8:30 am - 9:00 am

    Dr. Manoj Kumar, VP & CTO, Louis Dreyfus Company Plant Proteins Business

    Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) has completed the construction of its pea protein isolate (PPI) production facility, supporting the growth trajectory of its plant proteins business, as part of its Food & Feed Solutions Platform. This development is in line with the Group’s strategy to diversify revenue through value-added products – in this case, by producing the bast in class pea protein isolates portfolio, proprietary pea starch, and pes fiber on the market, meeting wide range of market demand, thanks to our proprietary technology, in-house R&D capabilities, and strong applications expertise. This presentation will provide LDC’s growing interest in in food ingredients and log-term commitments.

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    K-5: Pulse proteins: Sustainable, versatile, and nutritious ingredients for the plant-based future
    9:00 am - 9:30 am

    Michael Nickerson, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Research Chair in Protein Quality & Utilization, Professor, Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences, University of Saskatchewan

    The presentation will discuss market drivers pushing pulse proteins on the global stage, along with their functional and protein quality attributes making them attractive. The presentation will also discuss challenges and opportunities for utilizing pulse proteins in growing plant-based food movement.

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    K-6: Reducing Off-Flavors in Pea Flour
    9:30 am - 10:00 am

    Clifford Hall, Professor, South Dakota State University

    The main goal of this presentation is to present information on the effectiveness of extraction methods on deflavoring of yellow pea flours and determine the impact of the extraction on flour quality. This presentation will focus on combinations of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) and ethanol (EtOH) extraction as a deflavoring method. Focus will be on volatiles compounds removed and changes in flour functionality.

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    Learn more about our speakers here.

    • O-27: Identification of QTLs in a diverse Lens ervoides population using PACE markers, Sarahi Viscarra*

    • O-28: Evaluation of Near-Isogenic Lines for Early Flowering Gene (elf3) to Expand Chickpea Growing Regions in Saskatchewan, Marika Van den Berg*

    • O-29: Breeding high yielding MG00 and MG000 soybean varieties for western Canada, Katema Daba Abdi

    • O-30: Toward a Navy Bean Pangenome for Dissecting Common Bacterial Blight Resistance and Tepary Bean Introgressions, Mohammad Erfatpour

    • O-31: Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Anthracnose Resistance and Related Agronomic Traits in Ontario Small Seeded Dry Beans, Aashvi Patel*

    • O-32: Recovery of background genotype and introgression of non-darkening trait through marker-assisted backcrossing in cranberry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) varieties, Sajida Noor*

    • O-33: Phenolic Compound Profiling and Their Bioactivity Evaluation in Germinated Pulses, Oumma Halima*

    • O-34: Drink Your Peas for Better Bones: An Exploration of Yellow Pea-Based Protein’s Potential to Improve Bone Health in Older Adults, Ste Traxler

    • O-35: Genetic, Environmental and Processing Determinants of Raffinose-Family Oligosaccharides in Dry Bean and Chickpea: Implications for Improving Pulse Digestibility and Consumer Acceptance, Brendan O'Leary

    • O-36: Analytical Platforms for Nutrient Quantification and Flavor Profiling in Pulses, Haixia Zhang

    • O-37: Lab-to-Market Innovation in Pulse Protein: Flavor Improvements and Commercialization Pathway for Pea Protein Isolate, Suneru Perera

    • O-38: Importance of Cotyledon Cell Structural Integrity in Developing Functional Ingredients From Pulses, Yongfeng Ai

    • O-39: The Relative Pathogenicity of Five Species of the Fusarium oxysporum Species Complex on Prairie Field Crops, Cheyl Cho

    • O-40: Evaluating Reduced Nitrogen Inputs on Yield and Root Rot Severity in Dry Bean Cultivars, Ramandeep Kaur Bamrah*

    • O-41: Developing Multilayer Armour for Chickpea Against Different Modes of Actions of Herbicides, Bella Amyotte*

    • O-42: Harnessing Genetic Diversity for Pea Aphid Resistance in Pea Germplasm, Muhammad Qandeel Waheed*

    • O-43: Navigating RNAi-Based Technology to Control Root Rot Complex of Pulse Crops, Mohammad Djavaheri

    • O-44: Mixed Virus Infections and Interactions Between Plant Viruses and Aphanomyces in Pea, Aqsa Naeem*

    • O-45: Diversifying Rotations with Pulse Crops to Enhance System Sustainability, Kui Liu

    • O-46: The BENEFIT Project: Towards Improved Nitrogen Fixation in Canadian Edible Dry Bean Crops, George diCenzo

    • O-47: Optimizing Bean Inoculants for Canadian Varieties: Enhancing Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Common Bean, Sachinthya Attanayake*

    • O-48: Differences in Belowground Carbon Deposition in Soil, Root Biomass and Yield in Lentil and Field Pea Cultivars, Bobbi Helgason

    • ‍O-49: Trash or Treasure: Tracing chickpea-derived C and N additions into SOM, Jenna Sloman*

    • O-50: Unlocking Synergy: What Makes Lentil and Durum Wheat Work Well Together in a Rotation?, Kirstin Bett

    • O-51: An Integrated Study of Viral Diseases in Pulse Crops, Simin Sabaghian

    • O-52: Towards Economic Thresholds for Multiple Insect Pests in Lentils: Incorporating Lygus, Aphids, Grasshoppers, and Natural Enemies, Teresa Aguiar-Cordero*

    • O-53: Integrating Enhanced Seeding Rates and Herbicides to Develop Robust Weed Management Strategies for Soybean and Pulse Crops, Indeera Hetti Arachchige*

    • O-54: Chickpea Tolerance to Different Herbicide Modes of Action Applied Post-Emergence, Shaun Sharpe

    • O-55: UAV-Based Digital Phenotyping for Growth and Biomass Monitoring in Pulse Crops, Pantha Azad Sabbyashachi*

    • O-56: Grasping at Straw: Predicting the Quantity of Residual Straw Nitrogen in Lentil from UAV Images, Luke Dojack

    • O-57: Economic and Environmental Benefits of Field Pea and Lentil in Western Canadian Crop Rotations, Nickolas Tyack

    • O-58: Soybean Seed Filling in Cool Temperature and Drought, Rosalind Bueckert

    • O-59: Pulse Crops in Diversified Rotations to Enhance Farm Profitability and Energy Use Efficiency, Mohammad Khakbazan

    • O-60: Vegetative Nitrogen Storage and Remobilization: Driving Seed Protein Accumulation in Field Pea, Adekemi Stanley*

    • O-61: Bridging the Research Gap: APG’s Plot-to-Field Program as a Vessel for Commercial-Scale Pulse Crop Management, Mahnoor Asif

    • O-62: Pulse Performance in Water-Limited Australian Systems, Fernanda Dreccer

  • Banquet, Entertainment & Student Presentation Awards.

Wednesday
November 18

Centre East
Sheraton Cavalier

Day 3 features sessions on weed management and AI in pulse research, followed by afternoon tour excursions.

  • K-7: From Organics to Organics: A Quarter Century of Weed Control in Pulses
    8:00 am - 8:30 am

    Steve Shirtliffe, Professor, University of Saskatchewan

    For more than 25 years, my research has focused on improving weed management in pulse crops using integrated weed control. We first examined ways of increasing crop competitiveness through higher seeding rates, competitive cultivars and variety mixtures. We then evaluated mechanical weed control using harrows, rotary hoes and inter-row cultivators. These approaches were integrated with crop competition in organic lentil and pea production systems, and were able to achieve greater than 80% weed control. Our research didn’t ignore herbicides, we defined critical period for weed control in lentil and demonstrated how to achieve this in the new imi-resistant lentils of the day. Early on we recognized that relying on group two herbicides was likely to be problematic and subsequently explored how cultural and mechanical approaches could be moved into conventional production. More recently, my work has focused on herbicide-resistant kochia. We have satellite and UAV imagery to identify and map kochia patches and are working towards doing this for all of western Canada. Our current project is emphasizing practical, producer-friendly approaches, particularly herbicide layering and patch-based management to reduce weed seed production. A reflection from this work is that conventional weed-control systems remain heavily reliant on herbicides for a good reason: when they work, they work extremely well. Integrated weed-management systems can be effective, but their added complexity has largely relegated many of these approaches to organic production. We need to find ways to capture the benefits of integrated weed management while keeping systems practical enough for widespread producer adoption.

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    K-8: Dissecting disease resistance in pulse crops: phenotyping, genetics and pathogen effector biology
    8:30 am - 9:00 am

    Lars Kamphuis, Associate Professor, Curtin University, Australia

    Australian broadacre cropping systems are dominated by large-scale rotations of cereals, oilseeds and grain legumes under predominantly rainfed conditions. Pulses such as chickpea, lentil and lupin play a critical role in these systems by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, improving soil health, and providing valuable break-crop benefits for disease and weed management. However, these legume crops face significant biotic stresses that threaten yield and stability.

    At the Centre for Crop and Disease Management, we conduct pre-breeding research to improve disease resistance in pulses while advancing our understanding of the molecular arsenal deployed by pathogens to infect their hosts. Our team focuses on Ascochyta blight in pulses, Botrytis grey mould in chickpea and lentil, and Sclerotinia stem rot in lupin. This presentation will outline the phenotyping assays in controlled environments and the field used to screen germplasm for resistance, together with the genetic and genomic resources developed to dissect the inheritance of resistance and to characterise the pathogen effector repertoire.

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    K-9: Practical Approaches to Soybean and Pulse Agronomy Research
    9:00 am - 9:30 am

    Kristen MacMillan, Agronomist-in-Residence and Instructor, University of Manitoba

    The soybean and pulse agronomy research program was initiated 10 years ago in response to soybean becoming adapted to western Canada and to increase capacity towards tackling new and long-standing production questions for grain legumes grown in Manitoba. This presentation will highlight some of the work being done to improve the production, profitability and sustainability of soybean, dry bean, and pea crops on the prairies.

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    Learn more about our speakers here.

    • O-63: SPG Pulse Replicated On-Farm Independent Trials (PROFIT) for grower adoption of research, Ally Mierau

    • O-64: Introducing the next AgriScience Pulse Cluster: A Funding Pathway for Pulse Innovation, Heather Carriere

    • O-65: Evaluating Cultural Suppression of Amaranths Using Crop Selection and Seeding Rates, Shaun Sharpe

    • O-66: Population Genomics and Insecticide Resistance Dynamics of Pea Aphid Biotypes in Western Canada, Kanishka Senevirathna

    • O-67: Development and Application of RNAi Technology to Protect Pulses from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Mark Belmonte

    • O-68: An Environment-Based Approach to Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) Seeding Rate Decision, Fernando Guerra-Zurita

    • O-69: Spectral Fingerprints of Seed Coat Darkening in Dry Bean, Sajal Ahlawat

    • O-70: What Breeders Throw Away is What AI Needs Most, Mohsen Yoosefzadeh-Najafabadi

  • Pre-registration is required. For more information and tour descriptions, click here.

    • Bus 1: Canadian Light Source

    • Bus 2: Food Centre

    • Bus 3: USASK/CDC

    • Bus 4: GIFS

register today