Montana’s pulse industry is getting a boost from a new disease and pest scouting program that aims to keep growers ahead of the curve. With support from the Montana Pulse Crop Committee (MPCC), Montana State University’s Eastern Agricultural Research Center (EARC) is launching a multi-year survey of pea and lentil fields in northeastern Montana—and they’re looking for producers to participate.
The new effort, based in Sidney, is being led by Dr. Frankie Crutcher, associate professor of plant pathology at EARC. The goal is to regularly scout pulse crop fields for diseases, pests, and other agronomic threats such as herbicide-resistant weeds—issues that can reduce yields, increase costs, and make management decisions harder for farmers across Montana.
Why This Matters to Montana Pulse Producers
Montana is the leading producer of dry peas and lentils in the United States, with much of that production concentrated in the northeast part of the state. But with limited infrastructure for early disease detection, most outbreaks are only identified once they’ve become widespread and damaging.
“Pulse crops have become a key component of dryland cropping systems in Montana,” said Crutcher. “But often, diseases are either first detected when a major outbreak is identified or develop very slowly and are difficult to identify.”
The new scouting program is modeled after successful surveillance systems in North Dakota and Canada—two other pulse powerhouses—and will fill a significant data gap in Montana. The project will collect long-term baseline data and produce large-scale trend reports for the industry while delivering real-time updates and insights back to individual participating growers.
What the Program Offers Growers
Farmers in Daniels, McCone, Roosevelt, Sheridan, and Valley counties growing peas or lentils can enroll in the program now. Participation is simple: growers provide a short field history and allow MSU scientists to visit their fields about every two weeks during the growing season starting in 2026.
Scientists will scout at least 30 fields for early signs of disease, insect infestations, and resistant weeds. Samples will be processed through MSU Extension’s Schutter Diagnostic Lab to quickly identify pathogens or emerging threats. Participating growers will receive individual reports, and broader summaries will be shared with the wider agricultural community.
The data will help MSU and other research institutions apply for grants, develop predictive disease models, and explore real-time mitigation tools—ultimately giving producers more strategies to protect yields.
A Long-Term Vision for Montana Agriculture
With an initial investment of $147,000 from the Montana Pulse Crop Committee, the program will run through at least 2028. But Dr. Crutcher hopes to expand beyond the initial five-county region and bring similar support to northern Montana and other growing areas as more funding becomes available.
“Every time I talk to a researcher about this program, they have ideas for more ways it could be used,” Crutcher said. “We want to build bridges between scientists and farmers that will create the most widespread benefit.”
In an industry where timing is everything, having boots on the ground can make all the difference. By spotting problems early, this new program empowers growers to act quickly, avoid unnecessary losses, and stay competitive in a global marketplace.
“You can do the best work in the world, but it doesn’t count for anything if no one sees you doing it,” Crutcher said. “All summer, we want to be out in producers’ fields scouting for pests and diseases, and then in real time reporting results back to those producers and the community at large.”
The Bottom Line
As Montana’s pulse acreage continues to expand, this new program is a welcome investment in the long-term health of the industry. Farmers in northeastern Montana have an opportunity to be part of a proactive, science-based effort to protect one of the state’s most important crops.
▶ If you’re a pulse grower in northeastern Montana and want to take part in this vital disease scouting effort, visit this page to express your interest or reach out directly to Dr. Frankie Crutcher at fr**************@*****na.edu or 406-433-2208.
