No Till Notes: 'Field peas and aging'

Field pea planting is just around the corner so I thought I would share with you my ideas on raising field peas. We’ve been growing field peas on our farm for several years now and I know there are a lot of first time growers or fairly new growers in the area. I might be able to shorten the learning curve for the newer growers by sharing what we have learned over the years we’ve grown field peas.

The first step to growing a successful field pea crop is to buy certified seed. The purchase of seed is the most expensive part of raising field peas, but also the most important. A good final stand of field peas is critical to a good yield. A good stand of field peas also improves weed control and the harvesting of the peas.

We have also found that having the field pea seed treated has led to better stands of field peas. Treating the seed adds to the cost of producing the field peas, but I think it is money well spent. You are placing the field pea seed into some pretty cool, wet soil so it makes sense to me to protect that seed from damage during germination.

The next step is to purchase good field pea inoculant to place with the seed at planting. It is important to make sure you purchase inoculant specifically for field peas. The type of inoculant you choose depends on the type of drill you will plant your field peas with. If you use an air seeder or a mechanical drill with a grass seed attachment the granular formulation of inoculant will work best. If you are planting with a mechanical drill your need to use a combination of liquid and self-sticking peat.

We plant our seed at a depth of 2.5 inches. We want to get the seed into a firm, moist seedbed. We’ve found that field peas don’t germinate very well if the soil is too wet. If conditions are too wet you are better off waiting a few days for the soil to dry.

The standard planting rate for field peas is in the range of 350,000-400,000 live seeds per acre. Calculate the amount of seed that will be required by determining the seeds per pound, germination rate, and any damage you may have during the handling and drilling of the peas to obtain how many pounds of seed per acre you will need to plant. The range is generally from 170-210 lbs. per acre. We have found the heavier seeding rates give us a better establishment of plants per acre and results in a higher yield per acre. We will seed our peas this year in the 375,000-400,000 live plants per acre.

There are numerous herbicide options with field peas. We have found that if a good field pea stand is established weed control in field peas is consistently good. Grass herbicides can be applied following emergence if a grass weed problem develops.

Fungicide application just prior to or during early bloom is another consideration for high yielding field peas. We don’t have any experience with fungicides in field peas, but I think this is something we need to consider if the field pea crop is doing well and we have good moisture to support a high yielding crop.

Field peas are fairly easy to harvest provided you have a good stand of field peas. As the field pea crop dries down a good stand of field peas will help as the plants will hold each other upright. Combine settings are similar to edible beans. Field peas harvest best at a moisture content of 12 percent-15 percent. As they dry down seed damage and splits becomes more of an issue.

Field peas have proven to be a good crop for this region. Good yields are obtainable, but will vary according to the moisture we receive during the growing season. We are all still learning more about raising this crop in our area but I think we’ve been growing field peas enough to know the basics of field pea production in this area.

I turned 60 a while back and I’m beginning to feel my age. I plan to have my right knee replaced and as you read this article I will be in the recovery phase of my knee replacement. I may take a few weeks off from my writing as I rehabilitate my knee. I’ll be back writing my articles as soon as I feel able. I’ll look forward to our next visit.