Completed Project Report


Maximizing Profit Opportunities in Pulse Crops

  • Award Amount: $49,773
  • Regional Center: North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center
  • Grant Program: 2021 Education Projects
  • Project Director: Audrey Kalil
  • Email: audrey.kalil@ndsu.edu
  • Organization: North Dakota State University Williston Research Extension Center

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Project Overview

Pulse crops are dry edible legumes such as pea, lentil and chickpea. These crops are well adapted to semi-arid regions of the U.S. and their inclusion in a rotation with small grains has increased farm profitability in western North Dakota in the last 30 years. Changes in international markets, looming pesticide restrictions and disease issues, however, are challenging profitability. The use of alternative cropping practices and marketing strategies have the potential to reduce grower vulnerability to export market swings and control costs, resulting in improved farm income. An 11 episode series of podcast episodes, two workshops, one field day, two cafĂ© talks and one extension publication provided growers in North Dakota and around the world, education on intercropping and pulse crop marketing.  During the course of the project we reached 134 growers and stakeholders in western and north central North Dakota through face to face interactions and 1,243 virtually through hybrid format workshops, YouTube videos, and podcast episodes. The podcast series has over 2,800 downloads to date in the US with 1,000 downloads in the North Central region, as well as downloads internationally in Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, India, Australia and many other nations.  Participants reported increased understanding of production risk, financial risk and marketing risk of pulse crops due to our programming. 

Number of Participants: 1376

Outcomes

Project Steps

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

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EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

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REPORTS & EVALUATIONS

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DELIVERY AREA

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