USask Researcher Wins Pulse Promoter Award

A well known researcher has received the Pulse Promoter Award from the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers.

The Pulse Promoter Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the development of Saskatchewan’s pulse industry in the areas of production, marketing, promotion, research, extension, processing, management, and/or innovation.

This year's recipient is Dr. Bunyamin Tar’an, a Professor at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre and the Ministry of Agriculture's Strategic Research Program Chair in Chickpea and Flax Breeding and Genetics.

Dr. Tar’an moved to Saskatoon in 2000 and joined the CDC and USask Department of Plant Science as a postdoctoral research fellow.

He was appointed as Agri-Food Innovation Fund Chair in chickpea breeding and genetics from 2010‒2021.

SPG Chair Shaun Dyrland says Dr. Tar’an has been instrumental in making chickpeas a viable crop option for Saskatchewan growers.

“His work developing new chickpea varieties with improved disease resistance and agronomic traits have helped chickpeas grow from a very niche and high risk crop to a steady part of growers’ rotations.”

His research is focused on the development of superior chickpea and flax cultivars for Western Canada.

He has released 16 chickpea cultivars and co-developed several other pulse cultivars.

He has published 116 articles mostly on chickpeas, including four articles in Nature.

Sask Pulse notes this is in addition to countless presentations and extension work providing valuable information to growers about chickpeas and other crops.