Fall 1997 Southern Pea Variety Trial Result Demonstration

Brooks & Jim Wells Counties, Texas

John Prukop cooperating with Texas Agricultural Extension Service

J. Lopez, R. Mercado, L. Brandenberger & R. Wiedenfeld

Reported by: L. Brandenberger

Introduction:

Southern pea production in South Texas has consisted primarily of fall production of "eyed" types for the processing market. In 1996, a fall variety trial was completed on nine different southern pea cultivars including several that normally require shorter growing seasons, bush type growth habits and erect pod setting. During the fall of 1997 this trial was expanded to twenty four different cultivars including nine from the previous year and additional advanced breeding lines from a university breeding program.

Objective:

The objective of this trial was to evaluate and compare southern pea cultivars for differences in earliness, yield and maturity.

Methods and Materials:

Treatments in the demonstration trial included 24 different southern pea cultivars, (Table 1), 22 with bush type growth habit and two with vining growth habits for comparison. All cultivars were direct seeded September 10, 1997 in a randomized block design with four replications, the remainder of the field was also planted on September 10 to the 'Chinese Red' southern pea cultivar. Plots were one row wide by 25 feet long with a 30 inch spacing between rows and an in-row plant spacing of approximately two inches. The trial was grown in a commercial field that received no supplemental irrigation and received five gallons of 4-29-2 fertilizer per acre as a preplant application. Weed control utilized both Prowl herbicide applied at a rate of one quart per acre prior to planting and cultivation.

Plots were rated visually for maturity on October 5, 1997 utilizing a 0 to 6 scale where 0=no flowers observed, 1=flowering observed, 2=podding initiated, 3=pods elongated, 4=pods filling, 5=pods filled, 6=pods drying down. Plots were harvested by hand on December 18, 1997. Harvest data included net yield, percent moisture of peas at harvest determined with a Farmex portable moisture tester model 08025 (Farmex Inc. Aurora, Ohio), and percent increase in weight from soaking. This was determined by weighing the shelled peas after they were soaked over night in one liter of water, subtracting the dry weight from the soaked weight, dividing the difference by the dry weight and multiplying times 100. Net yield was determined by multiplying the harvest weights times the percent shelled weight.

All replicated data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance and Duncan's multiple range test with P=0.05.

Results:

Maturity ratings taken on October 5th varied significantly between many of the cultivars in the trial, (Table2). The ratings varied from 0.6 to as high as 3.8 and represented growth stages from little to no flowering to plants that had set pods and were filling them. Four cultivars recorded significantly higher maturity ratings than twelve of the others. Arkansas 96-593, 95-368, 96-556 and 95-301 had maturity ratings of 3.8, 3.5, 3.5, and 3.3, respectively.

Net yields varied widely among cultivars in the trial, (Table 2). Yields ranged from 23.8 to 522.8 pounds per acre. Those with the highest net yields included Early Scarlet, Arkansas 91-285, Arkansas Blackeye # 1 and Arkansas 95-368, with yields of 522.8, 402.2, 401.2 and 400.5 pounds per acre, respectively.

Data recorded for percent moisture at harvest was not analyzed, but varied from a high of 20.5 to a low of 12.8 percent, (Table 2). Four cultivars that had maturity ratings less than 1 had moisture levels at harvest that were above the 40% limit of the moisture meter.

The percent increase in weight from soaking, ranged from a high of 157.8 percent for Texas Pinkeye to a low of 34.2 percent for Arkansas 95-274, (Table 2). These increases in weight due to soaking provided an indication of maturity at harvest. The peas with higher increases in weight from soaking had October 5^th maturity ratings of at least 2.1, and two of the top five had ratings of 3.5 and 3.8.

Discussion:

This trial provided an opportunity to observe several southern pea cultivars under less than ideal conditions. The cool and cloudy weather experienced during the trial was in contrast to the warm and sunny weather normally required by this crop for proper growth and development. Because of this, cultivars included in the trial were seriously slowed in their flowering, and pods were very slow to develop and mature. In the past, several of the cultivars included in this trial have gone from being planted to fully mature and dry peas in 55 to 60 days; this contrasts with the nearly 100 days required to complete this trial. Although yields in the trial were considerably lower than expected, several cultivars in the trial produced 400 or more pounds of peas per acre compared to many commercial fields that were not harvested. Future trials will hopefully operate under better conditions and will allow producers in the area an opportunity to observe these cultivars under conditions better suited for maximizing their performance.

Acknowledgments:

We would like to acknowledge Mr. John Prukop of Los Machos Farms for providing an area for this result demonstration and for his time and efforts to make this project successful; and Mr. Lloyd Grace of Allen Canning for his assistance and advice. We would also like to thank Mr. Carl Smith, Holley Linkenhoger and Dr. T.E. Morelock for supplying seed for the trial.

Table 2. Fall 1997 southern pea trial, Premont, Texas, maturity rating, net yield, percent moisture, percent increase in wieght from soaking.
Cultivars	Maturity rating on 10/05/97 z		Net yield lbs./acre 12/18/97		% moisture of peas at harvest	% increase in weight from soaking
Early Scarlet	2.4	bcde	522.8	a	18.6	129.5
Excel	2.9	abcd	344.2	bcd	17.9	135.2
87-435-68	2.4	bcde	310.9	bcde	17.9	144.5
92-551	0.6	ij	48.4	gh	NA	57.4
92-552	0.9	ghij	105.6	fgh	NA	53.4
91-285	2.4	bcde	402.2	ab	15.8	100.9
95-195	1.8	efg	271.6	bcdef	13.5	98.3
95-241	2.1	cdef	248.3	bcdef	12.9	133.4
95-242	3.0	abc	256.7	bcdef	12.9	125.6
95-273	0.8	hij	63.9	gh	NA	39.8
95-274	0.4	j	129.4	fgh	NA	34.2
95-301	3.3	ab	213.1	cdefg	12.9	129.1
95-368	3.5	a	400.5	ab	12.8	120.0
96-556	3.5	a	197.6	defg	13.5	135.8
95-671	3.0	abc	171.7	efgh	13.9	131.4
96-593	3.8	a	323.1	bcde	13.7	139.1
96-868	2.4	bcde	374.8	abc	20.5	120.6
Arkansas Blackeye #1	2.1	cdef	401.2	ab	NA	105.2
95-104	1.6	efgh	64.0	gh	15.0	122.2
95-105	1.1	fghij	55.9	gh	14.7	125.8
Pink Eye Purple Hull BVR	1.9	def	104.6	fgh	14.3	115.3
Coronet	1.4	efghi	164.2	efgh	16.3	98.9
Quick Pik	3.0	abc	121.6	fgh	20.1	120.5
Texas Pinkeye	2.1	cdef	23.8	h	12.9	157.8
zNumbers within a column followed by the same letter are not statistically different where P=0.05.

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