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V. Cultural Practices
A. Seedbed Preparation
B. Seeding Date
C. Method and Rate of Seeding
D. Fertility Requirements
E. Varieties
Semi-leafless Growth Habit
Selecting a Variety
F. Weed Control
Mechanical Control / Cultural Weed Control
Chemical Control
Crop Desiccation
G. Insects
H. Disease Prevention
I. Common Diseases
J. Yield Potential
K. Harvesting
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A. Seedbed Preparation
Field pea can be grown in a no-tillage or conventional tillage cropping system. Field pea grows best when
planted into a weed-free seedbed in fertile soils. Land preparations for seeding peas is much the same as for wheat. In order to obtain good soil contact with the seed, seedbeds should be firm and well worked. Avoid
seedbeds with large clods. Do not work the soil too fine, or subsequent soil crusting following rains could cause emergence problems. Overworked land will be much more difficult to pack level - and having level
ground is critical for easy harvesting of peas. Stony fields should be avoided or rolled after seeding to bury loose stones that otherwise might be picked up in swathing and harvesting.
Plant the pea seeds 1 to 3 inches deep in rows 6 inches apart as early in the spring as feasible, provided the temperature of the surface inch of soil is above 40 degrees F. Soil should not be excessively wet. Early
seeding advances maturity of the crop, so that the probability of detrimental high temperatures during flowering is reduced. Pea seedlings can withstand considerable frost. Even if the frost is severe enough to kill
the main shoot, the pea plant will initiate regrowth from buds at one of the nodes at or below the soil surface
but will be delayed in maturity. Early seeding, in general, results in higher yields, but protein content may be slightly lower.
Seeding can be done with an air seeder or grain drill. Care must be taken to adjust the seeder to prevent cracking of the seed, especially of the large-seeded varieties, since cracked seed will not germinate. Do not
pack or roll immediately after seeding if soil moisture is high or excess compaction or crusting can occur. Some producers seed barley, oat, mustard, or canola at reduced rates in their peas crop to reduce lodging
and facilitate swathing. However, pea plants are poor competitors and yield of the pea component will be reduced.
Planting pea on flax stubble should be avoided because flax crop residue may make swathing peas difficult.
Slow degradation of flax stubble limits this rotation.
Pea should be separated by four years from oilseeds and other legumes in the rotation to avoid serious
disease problems such as sclerotinia and other similarly shared problems.
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B. Seeding Date
Being a cool season crop, field pea cannot tolerate hot weather or drought stress during flowering, thus
seeding early is important. Seeding should be as early in the spring as feasible provided soil temperature in the upper inch is over 40 degrees F. In Minnesota and Wisconsin this ranges from the end of March to
mid-May, so flowering will occur during cooler weather in June and early July rather than during the heat and drier conditions at the end of July or into August. Seeding date studies conducted at Minot and Carrington,
North Dakota indicated that field pea yields decreased significantly when seeding is delayed beyond mid May. Seeding peas beyond mid May will result in the crop beginning flowering in mid July, which increases the
risk of heat stress and late season disease problems, which will reduce yield.
One should avoid seeding into wet, poorly drained, cold soils because pea seeds will rot, or roots will
become subject to disease and rot. Pea growing points remain below ground so seedlings can withstand a mild frost at 23 to 19 degrees F. without damage.
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C. Method and Rate of Seeding
Care must be taken to properly adjust the grain drill to prevent cracking of the seed (cracked seed will not germinate). Rate of seeding depends on the variety to be planted. Field pea varieties will range from 1,600 to
5,000 seeds per pound. Field pea is not a strong competitor; therefore, poor germination or sowing at less than recommended rates may result in severe weed problems. It is important to use the recommended
seeding rates to gain optimum yields. Seed rates may vary because seed weights are not the same year to year. Drills should be calibrated for each variety and seed lot to achieve optimum seed rates. The goal is
approximately 300,000 to 325,000 plants per acre or 8 plants per square feet. This is about 4 seeds per feet in drill rows 6 inches apart. Germination percentage should be taken into account. Always select high quality,
disease-free seed. Drills should be calibrated to allow for seed and inoculant to flow properly without cracking the seed or plugging the opener.
Pea seed requires considerably higher amounts of moisture for germination than cereal grains. Maintaining
firm seed to soil moisture contact is critical. Seeding pea well into moisture is essential and seeding pea into
dry soil should be avoided. A rule of thumb is that the pea should be seeded at least a half inch into moisture and never seeded onto the interface where soil moisture meets dry soil.
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D. Fertility Requirements
A fertility soil test should be conducted to determine the status of the primary nutrients in the soil. Well nodulated field pea does not require much added nitrogen. However, field pea grown on soils with less than
20-30 available pounds of nitrogen may benefit from the addition of 20 to 40 pounds of nitrogen applied at seeding. Over-application of nitrogen is usually not profitable and may suppress nitrogen fixation. N-fixation
by field pea will reach a maximum just before or at flowering and then drops during pod formation. Field pea is among the most highly efficient nitrogen fixing crops. It may fix as much as 80% of the total nitrogen
requirement under good growing conditions. Producers should avoid high levels of nitrogen regardless of whether the source is a high testing field or high nitrogen fertilizer rates. Excess nitrogen will promote
vegetative development over reproductive seed production. Higher nitrogen levels will also reduce the potential of nitrogen fixation and increase the potential for lodging. An experiment with pea grown using a split
-root procedure suggested that at the time of harvest, 22 to 46 percent of the belowground N had been shed
into the rhizosphere (root zone). Because this N "rhizodeposition" has not previously been assessed for annual legumes, nitrogen fixation may be underestimated by about 10 percent.
Field pea research has also indicated the importance of adequate phosphorus fertility for optimizing seed yield
. Phosphorous and potassium are required by field pea in relatively large amounts and they should be added as required on the basis of soil test results (Table 2). Fertilizer may be broadcast in the spring during seedbed
preparation or banded with the seed. Care must be taken to prevent direct contact between the seed and fertilizer because germinating field pea is extremely sensitive to high salt concentrations. If P and K are
applied as a starter, the recommended placement of the fertilizer is in a band 2 inches to the side and 2 inches below the seed. When fertilizing in a band, the amount of P recommended at very low (VL) and low (L) soil
P levels could be decreased by one-third. At medium or high soil P levels, the rates should remain as shown in Table 2. The limit to P fertilizer applied in a band with the seed is about 20 lb/acre P2O5 as MAP (mono
-ammonium phosphate, also designated as 11-52-0, or 10-50-0. DAP (di-ammonium phosphate, also designated 18-46-0) is often too "hot" for the germinating pea seeds and seedlings.
Sulfur deficiencies on field pea have been observed in North Dakota on sandy, eroded hillsides and hilltops
under low organic matter conditions. These areas may respond to sulfur fertilizer if treated with a soluble form
of sulfate. Elemental sulfur products are not generally effective in the first year of application due to a slow microbial conversion to sulfate.
No reports of responses of field pea to iron, copper, zinc, chloride, manganese or boron have been reported in North Dakota.
Table 2. Nutrient recommendations for lentil and field pea.
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Soil Test Phosphorus, ppm
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VL
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L
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M
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H
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VH
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Yield goal
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Bray-I
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0-5
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6-10
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11-15
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16-20
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21+
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Olsen
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0-3
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4-7
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8-11
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12-15
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16+
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|
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lb/a
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----lb P205/acre----
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1400
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20
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15
|
10
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0
|
0
|
|
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1800
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30
|
20
|
10
|
0
|
0
|
|
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2200
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35
|
25
|
15
|
0
|
0
|
|
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2600
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40
|
30
|
15
|
10
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0
|
|
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Soil Test Potassium, ppm
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|
|
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VL
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L
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M
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H
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VH
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Yield Goal
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Bray-I
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0-40
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41-80
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81-120
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121-160
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161+
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|
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Olsen
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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lb/a
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------lb K20/acre------
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1400
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35
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25
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15
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0
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0
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1800
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45
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30
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20
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0
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0
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|
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2200
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55
|
40
|
25
|
10
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0
|
|
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2600
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65
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45
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30
|
10
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0
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Bray-I P recommendation = (0.01710-0.00085 STP)YG
Olsen P recommendation = (0.01710-0.0011 STP)YG
Potassium recommendation = (0.03000-0.00018 STK)YG
Source: NDSU Extension Service, North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Science, and U.S.
Department of Agriculture cooperating. Web site http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/soilfert/sf882w.htm#Table%2021.
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E. Varieties
Many registered dry pea varieties are adapted to the northern states and Canada. Trapper, a small seeded variety, has been the old standard and matures in 95 to 100 days. Trapper has the advantage of smaller seeds
(reduced cost of seed purchase) but it has long vines and is low yielding as compared with newer varieties. Pea varieties fall into two main types: yellow cotyledon or green cotyledon. Green cotyledon pea varieties can
be more difficult to market than yellow varieties due to their susceptibility to bleaching. Currently available green varieties yield approximately 20 percent less than yellow varieties under similar growing conditions. Dry
pea is grown for either the human consumption market (food type) or as animal feed.
Food Peas - A good yellow or green food pea has a large, round, and smooth seed. It also has a uniform color seed coat.
Feed Peas - Low grade food pea types are acceptable in the feed market. Varieties designated as feed are
unacceptable as food types. Feed pea costs of production are often lower because cleaning is not as important, damaged seed does not have to be removed, and bagging is not necessary. Feed pea varieties
may vary in seed shape, cotyledon color, and seed coat pattern and color.
Do not choose a feed pea variety on the basis of protein content. Variation in protein content is due more to
environmental factors such as effective nitrogen fixation, soil fertility, temperature, or moisture availability, than to varietal differences.
Specialty Pea - Pea types such as marrowfat, Alaskan, maple, and Austrian winter peas are grown for specialty
confection, birdseed, and forage markets. They are usually lower yielding and involve more production and price risk. These types should only be grown under contract, and should receive a premium price to yellow food types.
Semi-leafless Growth Habit
Some peas varieties have a semi-leafless growth habit. The tendrils of adjacent plants intertwine to provide better support (resistance to lodging) for the entire canopy. This characteristic can ease harvest under good
growing conditions. The semi-leafless varieties, however may be less competitive to weeds. It is important to establish a uniform heavy stand for semi-leafless types. The semi-leafless varieties are often better suited to
areas of high moisture in part due to their shorter vine length and in part to their more open canopy.
Selecting a Variety
Selecting the appropriate field pea variety should be based on review of the many differences that exist among varieties. Factors to consider should include market class, yield potential, harvest ease, vine length,
maturity, seed size, and disease tolerance.
The first criteria for selecting a variety should be market class. The green and yellow cotyledon types will be
the primary classes. All field pea varieties may be considered feed peas, but only selected varieties are acceptable for either the green or yellow human edible market.
After market type is determined, growers should review the field pea performance test information from trials
conducted across the northern states with particular attention paid to those trials reflective of their farming area.
Crop harvestability is a very important factor in variety selection and is often noted by harvest ease scores in
trial results. Most growers prefer a variety that will stand upright at harvest since it allows a faster harvest, minimal equipment modification, and higher quality seed. The newer varieties that have shorter vines and are
semi-leafless will be easier to harvest.
Another factor to consider in variety selection is the producer's location. The indeterminate nature of the long
-vined normal leaf type varieties may make them a preferred type in western North Dakota where moisture stress is more prevalent. Indeterminate varieties tend to express more stable seed yields when moisture and
heat stress impact crop development. This type of variety, however, due to its long vines can be heavily lodged at harvest and require special harvest procedures.
Most growers will select among the semi-leafless varieties that are more determinate in development. Selection
within these semi-leafless types should consider the impact of vine length. In areas with higher rainfall and cool summers, the shortest-vined varieties may be best, while in the drier regions a grower should choose a semi
-leafless type with longer vines.
Table 3 shows research results from the 1997 -1999 seasons for Red Lake Falls, Oklee, Fosston, Kennedy, and
Baudette. Among the varieties tested Majoret and Astuce have a green seed coat.
Table 3. Minnesota peas variety trial results 1997-1999 data.
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RLF*
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Fosston
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Oklee
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Kennedy
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LOW
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RLF
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Fosston
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Kennedy
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Mean
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Peas variety
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1997
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1997
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1997
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1997
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1998
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1998
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1998
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1999
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97-99
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Yields bushels per acre
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Spitfire
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54.6
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68.2
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57.2
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51.3
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73.2
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74.5
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66.4
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56.0
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62.7
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Carneval
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39.7
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69.8
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41.8
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56.9
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64.6
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62.5
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71.7
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53.7
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57.6
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Carrera
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40
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57.4
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41
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51.6
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73.1
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60.7
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60.6
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65.5
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56.2
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Grande
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46.5
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59.8
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63.1
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53.8
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58.2
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49.1
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67.7
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49.7
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56.0
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Highlight
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50.3
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50
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49.2
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63.4
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62.4
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62.7
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49.9
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49.6
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54.7
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Majoret
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42.6
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56.4
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39.1
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43.6
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67
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54.6
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61
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52.8
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52.1
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Mustang
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39.4
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56.9
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50.5
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58
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55.7
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56.8
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48
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48.3
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51.7
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Profi
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39
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52.1
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33.6
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47.2
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72.7
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53.5
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48.2
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51.9
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49.8
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Astuce
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67.6
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46.3
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63.5
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Trapper
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30.5
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25.7
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19.5
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39.1
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42.2
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Integra
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|
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68.2
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Mean
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42.5
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55.1
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43.9
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51.7
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63.2
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60.2
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57.8
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55.9
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LSD (0.10)
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7
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5.6
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RLF = Red Lake Falls, MN, LOW = Baudette, MN (Lake of the Woods County)
Research data from Dr. Hans Kandel.
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Peas Variety
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Powdery Mildew
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Mycosphaerella (Ascochyta)
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Fusarium Wilt
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Leaf type2
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Maturity Rating 3
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Vine Length4
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Seed Size5
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Seed Color6
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Resistance To 1
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Spitfire
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P
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P
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?
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T
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M
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M
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M
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Y
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Carneval
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F
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F
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P
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SL
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E
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M
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M
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Y
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Carrera
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P
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P
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P
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SL
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E
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S
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M
|
Y
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Grande
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P
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F
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P
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N
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M
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M
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M
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Y
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Highlight
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VG
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F
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P
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SL
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E
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S
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S
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Y
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Majoret
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P
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F
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P
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SL
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M
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S
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L
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G
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Mustang
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P
|
P
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P
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SL
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VE
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S
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S
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Y
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Profi
|
P
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P
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P
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SL
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VE/M
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M
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M
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Y
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Trapper
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P
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F
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P
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N
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M/L
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T
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S
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Y
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Integra
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P
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P
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F
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SL
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M
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M
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L
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Y
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1) Disease ratings provided by Dr. Allan Zue, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Morden.
VG = Very Good; F = Fair; P = Poor.
2) N = Normal; SL = Semi-leafless; T = Tare (reduced leaves).
3) VE= Very Early; E = Early; M = Medium; L = Late. M = about 95 days, varies with growing conditions.
4) S = Short; M = Medium; T = Tall. M = approximately 33 inches, varies with growing season conditions.
5) S = Small; M = Medium; L = Large. M = 220 g/ 1000 seeds, varies with growing season conditions
6) Y = Yellow; G = Green.
Langdon
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Field Pea - Langdon
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|
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Yield
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Avg.Yield
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Variety
|
Days
to 1st
Flower
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Days
to End
Flower
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Days
to
Mature
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Harvest
Ease
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Vine
Lgt
|
1000
KWT
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Protein
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Test
Wt.
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1999
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2000
|
2001
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2
year
|
3
year
|
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Yellow
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|
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0-9
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in
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gms
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%
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lbs/bu
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-----------------bu/a---------------
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Ceb. 4119
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57
|
75
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92
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8.0
|
50
|
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