Hot temperatures and dry soils during the later vegetative and early reproductive stages are especially detrimental for N fixation. Use high airflow for good separation. When combining a swathed pea crop, match the pick-up speed to the ground speed of the combine. This may require a light harrowing of the field to incorporate the seed. Grasshopper outbreaks usually coincide with several years of low rainfall and drought periods. Source: North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service – U.S. Department of Agriculture. Premium pea markets normally are limited and require a more aggressive approach by the grower. Keeping abreast of current markets by using sources such as written or electronic agricultural publications is important. Whether you call them southern peas, crowder peas, field peas, or more commonly black eyed peas, if you’re growing this heat-loving crop, you need to know about black eye pea harvest time – such as when to pick and how to harvest black eyed peas. Once the crop is mature it can dry down very quickly if the weather is warm and dry. They require using aeration to cool or maintain the temperature of pea, proper monitoring and storage management similar to what is required for other types of grain. Phosphorus (P) fertilization is likely the primary concern for field pea growers. Planting field pea after mid-May means it more likely will mature during warm, dry weather favorable to disease development. for short, thin crops. Relatively slow early season growth and a lack of complete ground cover by the crop canopy allow weeds to be competitive. Both diseases survive in crop residues and are seed-borne and seed-transmitted. Overall quality is usually better than cereal straw. Water well when the flowering begins and two weeks after. Determinate, semi leafless varieties that have good harvestability are more adapted to the wetter regions. Lesions can develop on pods, which may result in the seed becoming infected. Because of these benefits, it is recommended that pea straw remain on the field and not be baled off for feed purposes. To reduce seed shattering, the combine reel should be adjusted to a low speed. The pathogen infects the cortex (outer portion) of the root; therefore, when plants are pulled from the soil, the cortex may slough off, leaving only a small strand of vascular tissue intact. After grazing, the pea stubble can be worked into the soil as a green manure or left over the winter. Chemical desiccation is used to burn off crop foliage and weeds, and can be very effective for green pea, reducing the time to harvest and resulting in a good green coloured seed. Lower areas of the field (which remain green) should be ignored when the proper swathing or straight cutting time approaches for most of the field. Swathing should be done during periods of higher humidity to prevent shatter losses. above the soil surface. Field Selection Peas grow well on most well-drained soil types. Markets are readily available with minimal quality restrictions for peas sold as livestock feed. A plant density of 300,000 to 350,000 plants per acre or seven to eight plants per square foot is recommended. In addition, a study found that a delay in harvest affects postharvest breakage to a greater degree than seed moisture content. Planting into well-drained soils and minimizing soil compaction will help manage the disease. Good weed control is also very important in raising high-quality human edible pea. Aeration of straight-harvested pea is generally required to condition the grain for longer storage. Manganese deficiency is normally an issue with field peas as well. An aeration system should be used to cool the stored pea as outdoor temperature cool, similar to other grains. The allowable storage time for pea at select moisture contents and temperatures is shown in Table 1. Harvesting and threshing At maturity, all the leaves turn yellow and fall down leaving behind stalks with pods. Fields with a history of perennial weed problems such as Canada thistle, perennial sowthistle and field bindweed should be avoided. Flowering usually begins 40 to 50 days after planting. Peas are grouped by harvesting time and the shape of the seeds; round peas tend to be hardier than wrinkled varieties. Special thanks to Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers. Producers must be certain that the inoculum product they obtain is specific for field pea. Use proper rates, high water volume and spray at the correct crop stage. Swathers should be equipped with a pick-up reel, preferably with stiff fingers, and with vine lifters – adjustment of the pick-up reel, backward or forward, may alleviate piling problems. General recommendations for combine settings include: Low combine cylinder or rotor speeds are required to reduce seed cracking. Keep your peas well picked to encourage more pods to develop. However, peas have lower tolerance to saline and water logged soil conditions than cereal grains. Field pea is sensitive to heat stress at flowering, which can reduce pod and seed set. If peas are swathed, a pick-up reel will help in moving the plant material off the cutter bar and onto the canvas. The equilibrium moisture content is similar to cereal grains such as wheat and corn, so these charts can be used to estimate expected moisture contents. Seedlings are tolerant of spring frosts in the low 20s, and if injured by frost, a new shoot will emerge from below the soil surface until approximately seven nodes are above the soil surface. Aphanomyces root rot is caused by a fungal-like organism. At this moisture range, the seeds are firm and no longer penetrable with a thumbnail. The use of an inoculum labeled for soybean, clover or various other legumes will not allow the nitrogen-fixation process to occur. Field peas are sensitive to a number of herbicide residues. The fungal growth can develop into hard, black bodies (sclerotia) found inside the stem, which can cause premature ripening of the plant. Watch this Desiccation Video for Field Peas. If the entire crop will take more than two or three days to combine, stagger the desiccant application so that not all the crop is ready at the same time.