Project Overview

Reports

Commodities

Target Pests

Practices

Pulse crops such as field peas, chickpeas, and lentils are crucial to sustainable agricultural systems, particularly in the semi-arid regions of the U.S. These crops offer significant benefits to growers by enhancing soil health through biological nitrogen fixation and reducing water and fertilizer needs compared to traditional commodity crops like wheat, corn and soybean. While these crops have been an essential part of the human diet in many areas of the world as a vital source of protein, domestic interest in these crops has grown as new plant-based protein products join the marketplace.

 The rise in pulse crop production is accompanied by a variety of pest and disease issues. These include soil-borne diseases like root rots, herbicide-resistant weeds, and seedborne or seed-transmitted pathogens such as fungicide-resistant Ascochyta and Anthracnose pathogens. The Pulse Crop Working Group (PCWG) aims to address these challenges by promoting collaborative research and outreach, fostering cross-regional networking, and facilitating the development and dissemination of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) solutions that support sustainable pulse crop production. In FY2026, we will pursue the following objectives:

1. Foster collaborative relationships among researchers, students, extension professionals, and industry stakeholders through in-person, hybrid, and virtual meetings to address IPM research priorities.
2. Facilitate the participation of graduate students and early career professionals in PCWG events and collaborative research and outreach efforts.
3. Determine grower and industry needs for research, education, and outreach materials to increase adoption of IPM practices.
4. Collaboratively produce educational materials to meet identified grower needs and maintain an up-to-date PCWG website to disseminate and promote these materials along with timely pest updates.

The PCWG, formerly funded by the North Central IPM Center, has already secured nearly $9 million in collaborative grants and produced significant resources, including peer-reviewed articles, extension publications, and diagnostic tools for pest management. We aim to continue building on this success by promoting sustainable pest management strategies and increasing the capacity of the pulse crop research community.

The proposed activities align with the Western IPM Center’s priorities, including pest-resistance, soil-borne pest management, and IPM culture and capacity, and will contribute to advancing sustainable pest management practices across the western U.S. The PCWG’s extensive network of researchers, extension professionals, and industry stakeholders will continue to be a key resource in addressing emerging pest and disease challenges. The proposed working group grant will continue to foster collaboration and the development and adoption of effective IPM solutions for pulse crops, supporting sustainable production systems in the western U.S.

The mission statement developed by the PCWG is “advancing sustainable and profitable pulse crops production through collaborative IPM research and outreach.” To this mission, we have developed specific objectives.

1. Foster collaborative relationships among researchers, students, extension professionals, and industry stakeholders through in-person, hybrid, and virtual meetings to address IPM research priorities, including management of soil-borne pests.
2. Facilitate and encourage graduate student and early career professional participation in PCWG events and collaborative research and outreach efforts.
3. Determine grower and industry needs for research, education, and outreach materials to increase adoption of IPM practices.
4. Collaboratively produce educational materials to meet identified grower needs and maintain an up-to-date PCWG website to disseminate and promote these materials along with timely pest updates.